


Taking That Second Chance

by CantEscapeMyFandoms



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, OCs will show up later but not appear right away, Peggy Sue Fic, Rumple will be the villain here, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel, Time Travel Shenanigans, WARNING: not Rumple friendly, also i started writing this before season 5 but then re-worked some of it, death is only in prologue, evil rumple, in which emma inadvertently time travels and sets of an entirely new chain of events, minor evil regina, regina will be redeemed though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-04-21 09:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14281503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CantEscapeMyFandoms/pseuds/CantEscapeMyFandoms
Summary: After the end of 4a (pre 4b), Killian dies in a random accident and Emma thinks about all of the time she wasted with him and how she regrets they didn't have more. The next thing Emma knows, Mary Margaret is waking her up in the EF. Emma realizes that she's travelled back in time, so she has a choice to make: follow the same path, or change it so she and Killian have more time.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story will have some canon and some not. As a Peggy Sue fic, it’s up in the air. I already have many ideas that deviate from canon anyway, so hopefully this fic will be as well received. 
> 
> Before reading this chapter, I recomend listening to “We Dreamed Our Dreams” sung by Cathie Ryan. It’s on Spotify, but if you can’t find that specific version, I’m sure any version sung by a woman would be just as effective. 
> 
> WARNING: Major character death (temporary). Graphic death scene? 
> 
> You won’t enjoy this chapter, but I do ask for you not to kill me as this is only the beginning.

_Because death is the only thing that could have ever kept him from you. — Ally Carter_

* * *

It was nice to finally have time to themselves. After wicked witches, time travel, snow queens, and stolen hearts, she and her pirate were finally able to actually  _enjoy_ their relationship. They had nothing but quiet moments to soak up, and all the time in the world to do so.

Of course, Emma was waiting for the other shoe to drop with the arrival of the next villain, but Killian was really good at keeping those thoughts off of her mind. Mostly by talking. They talked about everything now. Their pasts, the good and the bad, things they liked and didn't like, sharing their random thoughts, or even discussing the latest gossip or the last book they read. A lot of their talks were about Killian adapting to the modern world with her, Henry's, and her parents' help.

There were also babysitting adventures with her baby brother, sailing adventures with Henry, and sword fighting lessons with her father that turned into duels between David and Killian to prove who was the better swordsman (it was Killian by far, but David did have him on the ropes a few times).

It had just finished raining while they had been at the Sheriff's station, so they figured it was better to head back to the loft now before the rain started up again. Emma smiled broadly as they walked arm in arm. They were  _finally_  going to introduce him to Netflix. Henry texted her earlier to tell her he had it all set up and ready to go, asking if they needed to start him on  _Peter Pan_ or  _Pirates of the Caribbean_. Figuring that they needed to ease him into this, Emma said  _Pirates_ was a definite.

Killian noticed her smile. "Something amusing, Swan?"

Emma looked up at him. "Just thinking about what we're going to watch when we get home."

Her use of the word  _home_  had his grin widening and his eyes shining brighter.

"Good." Killian said. "The lad picked?"

"I did actually." Emma chuckled. "You're not ready for Henry's pick yet."

Killian playfully huffed.

Emma giggled, turning away from her boyfriend. Her eyes caught sight of a burned building up a head. It had been the hardware store, but an electrical fire had destroyed it a week ago. They just started the rebuilding process yesterday, and it looked like the rain prevented work today.

When they were right in front of the building, Emma noticed the mess of materials everywhere, and wondered if she needed to have a talk with the contractors about the hazards that they were creating.

A whoosh sound was the only warning before Emma heard a crack and Killian jerked.

Emma's head snapped in his direction as he fell to the ground.

All Emma could focus on was the lifeless blue eyes staring up at her. "Killian?" She knelt beside him, eyes flicking from his pale face to the pool of blood forming around his head like a crimson halo, a brick resting near him. "Killian?"

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Oh God, please no._  Denial crept into her heart, even as her eyes traitorously filled with tears. "Killian?" She shook him. "Killian, come on, get up. Come on." She shook him harder, tears falling down her face and on to his chest. "Please, come back. Please." Emma pulled him into her arms, gently cradling his head, caressing his cheek. "Killian…"

A sob escaped her.

"No, no, no. You weren't supposed to leave me. Come back, you have to come back."

Clutching him to her chest, she cried harder, knowing that it was too late to heal him, even as her denial remained strong.

This wasn't supposed to happen. They were  _finally together_. They were supposed to have all of the time in the world. They were supposed to be happy.  _He was supposed to be safe_. He was supposed to stay with her and they were supposed to get their goddamn happy ending. He wasn't supposed to die on her, least of all in a fucking freak accident.

His body grew cold in her arms.

Weeks.

They had only had  _mere_  weeks.

The first few of which were spent dealing with Ingrid and Elsa and Rumplestiltskin. Now that everything finally settled down and they were able to relax, she lost him.

It  _wasn't_  fair.

After everything that they both had been through, it wasn't goddamn fair at all. They were supposed to have time, and now it was all gone.

God, she wasted so much time with him. She was the reason they were too late to be happy. Pushing him away, keeping him at arm's length, afraid to let him in….all of those months…all of that time wasted because she left him chained on the beanstalk. Pan's curse only served to take even more time from them.

Emma sobbed harder.

The man she loved was gone.

Her happy ending was gone with him.

In that moment, Emma wanted nothing more than to have all of that time back, to change things for the better, to have Killian back.

That was the last thing on her mind when everything went black.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma figures out that she accidentally time travelled to the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So since this chapter is setting up a of things it's unusually long, but have fun reading anyway.

_Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life. — Anne Roiphe_

* * *

Emma heard her name being called, slowly becoming aware of her return to consciousness. The first thing she knew was that she was lying on hard ground, the second thing was that it was her mother who was calling her name and shaking her awake, and the third thing was the memory of Killian's lifeless body in her arms.

Her eyes tightened as she felt tears well up.  _Killian._

Her Killian, her pirate, was gone. All her heart felt was pain. It was as though someone reached into her chest and crushed it. It would've been so much easier had someone done that. Easier, better, than this hollow ache that threatened to swallow her.

He was gone.

She was never going to get him back.

"Emma, time to wake up." Mary Margaret's voice reached her ears.

_Time to wake up?_

Emma couldn't believe what she was hearing. She apparently fainted next to her boyfriend's dead body, likely discovered by a random citizen, or worse someone she and Killian knew, and her mother,  _her own mother_ , was telling her that it was time to wake up as if it was any other morning? Why in the hell would her mother even bother her after something like that? And why the hell was she on the ground outside instead of a hospital bed?

It wasn't a dream. Was it?

 _No._ She knew her gut that Killian's death had been real. It was too vivid. The paleness of his lifeless eyes, his body growing colder in her arms, the blood…so much blood on the ground.

Finding it hard to breathe, Emma shot up, gasping for breath.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret was at her side, concern evident on her face. "Are you all right? Was it a nightmare?"

 _You could say that_. Emma thought harshly, glaring at her mother.

That's when Emma noticed two things: one she was in the woods, and two, Mulan and Aurora were standing behind Mary Margaret and glaring at her.

"You'll need to be a light sleeper here." Mulan snapped.

Mary Margaret turned to glare at the warrior, who simply stared her down.

_What the hell?_

What was going on? Why were they in the woods? Why were Mulan and Aurora wearing their outfits from the Enchanted Forest?

Emma shook her head. Was she still unconscious? Was Killian's death so traumatic that she was dreaming of another realm to in order to escape it?

Or was she going crazy?

Her head couldn't make sense of it, and her heart continued to ache painfully in her chest. She thought Neal betraying her was heartbreak, or that everything with Walsh being a lie was heartbreak, but this…this was a thousand cuts doused in salt and lemon juice and aggravated by every single breath that she took.

All she wanted to do was to lay down and give up.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret lifted Emma's chin. "Are you okay?"

Emma wanted to scream at her that she'd never be okay again.

"Get up." Mulan said. "We need to get moving." She tugged on the ropes that had Emma and Mary Margaret's wrists bound.

 _Wait, what?_  Emma looked at the ropes confused and feeling an extremely intense sense of déjà vu.  _What the hell?_

Impatient, Mulan grabbed Emma by the arm and lifted her up on her feet.

Emma jerked away. "Don't touch me."

"Then get moving." Mulan practically growled. The warrior untied the reigns of the horse from the tree before helping Aurora on the saddle.

Taking in everything with more alertness, Emma saw that she and Mary Margaret were tied to a horse. Just like they had been in the Enchanted Forest fifteen months ago. In fact, as Emma looked at her mother's clothes, and her own, Emma realized that they were wearing the exact same outfits as before.

_How the hell was this possible?_

How did she go from mourning over the lifeless body of the man she loved to reliving an event that happened in her life over a year ago?

Was she dreaming?

It was as if ice water had been thrown over her when it hit her. She loved Killian. She loved him more than she'd ever loved anyone romantically, and she never told him.

How could she never have told him?

He died not knowing how much he meant to her.

A new barrage of tears threatened to fall but Emma pushed them back. No, she could break down later. Though her heart protested, her mind won out, and Emma felt a surge of determination. She was going to figure out what was going on, and why she was reliving this.

It had to be some twisted dream she was having. Killian died. That much she knew. Now, she was back in the Enchanted Forest. It was apparent that she was reliving the events leading up to her meeting him….maybe that was it. Maybe her mind refused to believe he was dead and now she was trapped inside of it in order to live her life from the time she met Killian to his death over and over again.

But then why didn't she become aware at the point they met? Why was she farther back in her memories?

Though it was odd how real everything seemed. The trees looked real in the sunlight as they passed through the woods, and the hard, uneven ground certainly caused her feet to ache. Her feet aching felt very real for sure.

How could her memories be this detailed? Even her strongest memories, she knew, were distant and unclear. But it really felt as though she was actually in the Enchanted Forest.

"What the hell is going on?" Emma muttered.

Mary Margaret turned to Emma confused. "What do you mean?"

Emma winced. She hadn't meant for anyone to hear that. "Nothing."

"Emma…" Mary Margaret looked worried. "You've been acting a bit off. What happened while you were asleep?"

 _I am asleep_. Emma huffed. She wasn't sure what to tell her mother.  _Oh you know, the love of my life died, so now I'm trapped in my head as a way to deny the trauma of his death?_  Yeah, even dream Mary Margaret would think that she was crazy.

"Maybe Aurora hit you on the head harder than I thought." Mary Margaret said.

"I'm fine." Emma lied.

Empty blue eyes swam in her vision. Her arms suddenly felt heavy with his stiff weight. A pressure pressed down on her chest. Blood. So much blood.

Emma closed her eyes tightly, trying to block out the images that insisted on haunting her.

"Emma, come on." Mary Margaret called back, tearing Emma out of her surfacing memories. "They're going to end up dragging us too much if we don't move with them."

"Uh…right." Emma swallowed, forcing her feet to move.

"We're almost there." Mulan said.

They were breaking through the trees, and Emma could see people ahead.

 _What the…._ Emma's eyes widened as she took everything in the closer they got to the clearing ahead.  _No…that's not…._ Her memory wasn't  _that_ good. It couldn't remember every individual face of every stranger or their clothes.

As it was the Safe Haven was before her and everyone who Cora would kill in a massacre was alive.

 _This isn't possible._ Emma thought, keeping a tight hold on her denial.

If this was real…then….had she…had she time travelled?

She had time travelled before, but that was a portal, and very specific ingredients had been required.

There was no way she had time travelled now….right? She hadn't even used magic. Not that she could've known for certain given her state, but this…it just wasn't possible.

As Mulan led them closer and closer to the pit, Emma felt as though a reality check had just smacked her in the face.

Everything was so vivid and detailed and real.

"Emma, are you okay?" Mary Margaret looked concerned. "You look…well, pardon the cliche, but you look like you've seen a ghost."

As Emma looked at the refugees they passed, she could only utter "I think I have."

Mulan pulled the horse to a stop, and dismounted.

Wait, that wasn't right. They had stopped before reaching the camp, and Mary Margaret had attacked Aurora in an attempt to escape.

Even as Emma thought it, Mary Margaret stepped forward. Some deeper instinct shouted at Emma to stop her.

"What are you going to do with us now?" Emma asked, stepping in front of Mary Margaret, ready to stop her if necessary.

"Put you in the pit." Mulan said.

The pit. Cora. Emma was not looking forward to that.

If, and that was a big if, she had time travelled, then that meant that she had two options regarding this new development. She could keep things the same or change them.

A memory hit her.

She was crying over Killian's body, her only thoughts being that she had wasted so much time. That they hadn't had enough time.

It was as if someone punched all of the air out of her lungs.

Time traveling meant that Killian was alive. If Killian was alive then…then that meant they had time now. She could change things for the better.

Still, Emma hesitated. Wouldn't that be like playing God? Using her knowledge of the future for her own ends? She couldn't do that.

….Could she?

If it meant more time with Killian, would it be worth it?

A desperate voice screamed from within.

It would be.

He was worth it.

She just had to find him first.

"We haven't done anything wrong." Mary Margaret's voice brought Emma back to the present…or well, past.

"That has yet to be determined." Mulan glared, pulling out her sword. "Now, come with me."

Emma grabbed Mary Margaret's arm, a silent warning to comply with Mulan's wishes.

"What are you doing?" Mary Margaret hissed as Mulan directed them towards the pit.

 _Changing things…apparently…_  Emma turned to Mary Margaret. "I'm just trying to figure things out." Emma carefully crafted her words. If she was going to do this, then she had to do this right. "We need to be careful here, and we definitely don't need to be rash, especially when we're outmatched and out weaponed."

"We need to escape and find our way home." Mary Margaret insisted.

"We might need  _their_  help." Emma countered. "I think for now, it's better to stay on their good side." She hoped that Mary Margaret would listen to her for once.

Mary Margaret seemed to disagree, but she remained silent.

Emma breathed a sigh of relief.

They reached the pit and watched as Mulan threw the rope down the hole. "Climb down, and stay down."

Emma walked forward, already thinking of how to get around Cora, as she grabbed the rope and started her descent, knowing Mary Margaret would have no choice but to follow.

When Emma's feet touched the ground, she backed away to give Mary Margaret room, and looked around the pit. She spotted a figure in the shadows almost immediately since she knew Cora was there.

Mary Margaret finished her descent and the rope was pulled away. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Who are you?" Emma asked the figure. For some reason, instinct told her that playing ignorant was the best thing to do in this time traveling adventure.

Knowing the future was a dangerous thing that could be used against her.

The figure stepped forward and Emma's blood went cold even knowing who it was.

Mary Margaret gasped, pure shock on her face. "Cora."

Cora smiled insincerely. "Snow White, it's so good to see you."

Emma swallowed.

This time traveling thing was definitely going to be harder than she thought.

* * *

Looking in the mirror, David couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. The shoulder holster felt odd and constrictive, feeling very different from a scabbard belt. The badge on his hip felt like a thousand pound weight pulling him down.

In Emma's absence, the town voted him as interim sheriff.

Him.

He understood why, really he did. He was their leader in the Enchanted Forest. The man that had helped Snow lead them in a war against King George and Regina in which good had been victorious, even if it had been brief.

With the curse broken, someone had to step up to keep the town and the people in order.

David was that person. Apparently. According to Snow and Ruby, he'd had a knack for leading in the Enchanted Forest, but that was another lifetime ago. Even when he had been Prince Charming, he'd never felt comfortable in the skin of a prince.

Just as he wasn't comfortable in the skin of a sheriff.

Taking a deep breath, David turned away from the mirror. The job he faced now wasn't going to be easy, and why would it be?

The town was still reeling from the curse and everyone was struggling with two lives in their heads. Relations between everyone were changing drastically. Friends were now enemies, enemies were friends, grudges were remembered, traumas relived, and everyone was still looking for someone they lost to the curse.

Then there was Henry.

David had never had a child in his care with the exception of the precious moments he had Emma in his arms before he sent her through the wardrobe.

That wasn't exactly a stellar track record for a care taker.

There was no question that Henry was absolutely not going back into Regina's care ever. David would die or kill Regina himself before he let that happen. Especially since she seemed to have some of her magic back. He rubbed at the red mark on his throat. Yeah, no, she was too dangerous.

Still, David had no idea what to do. Snow was the maternal one, and Emma was Henry's mother. They would know what to do.

What the hell could he do?

He wasn't a prince or a sheriff, and he was robbed at his chance to be a father.

Henry bounded down the stairs. "Ready for your first day, grandpa?"

 _Grandpa._ That was a word he'd have to get used to.

David plastered on what he hoped was a happy smile. "Ready as I'll ever be. You ready to stay with Granny for the day?"

"Why can't I be your deputy?" Henry asked. "School's shut down. I have nothing else to do."

David understood Henry's desire to be a hero. He himself had felt that a long time ago. "It's safer with Granny."

That seemed to disappoint Henry, but David knew that he was doing the right thing. Henry was his grandson, and he had to protect him.

He might not know all the ropes, but he was going to do his best, and ensure that Henry was happy and safe. He hoped it would be enough.

Just as he hoped to find a way to bring Snow and Emma home.

* * *

The tension in the pit was palpable.

"Mary Margaret, who is this?" Emma asked, though this playing dumb thing was going to wear on her nerves, she just knew that it would. Just as looking at Cora, walking around and breathing, struck her with fear and anger. She could stop Cora this time around, knowing what the witch was capable of. The how she would do it was the problem she had to solve.

Magic was out of the question for now. Not that Emma was any better at using magic than before…well, she had some control. Maybe she could make it seem instinctual? It wouldn't be hard. For her, magic was instinct born from emotions.

Still, Cora was much more seasoned in the usage of magic. Emma decided that the risk wasn't worth it. She needed to play this as smart as possible.

"This is Cora." Mary Margaret said coldly. "She's Regina's mother, and she's a thousand times worse."

"Oh Snow, sweet, sweet Snow, whatever Regina told you, it isn't true." Cora pleaded. "The apple fell very far from the tree…Regina…I could never imagine that my daughter could be so cruel."

"Yeah, why don't I believe that?" Emma glared. "Regina had to get that cruel streak from somewhere." Emma was impressed at just how good of an actress Cora was; then again, the woman was a master manipulator.

"Please, I just want to help." Cora put a lot of sadness into her tone and expression.

It was a struggle for Emma to keep her eyes from rolling. Cora was laying it on thick. "We don't need your help." Emma turned back to Mary Margaret. "We need to figure out how to…" Emma was interrupted by the rope being thrown down in the pit.

A guard looked down at them. "Our leader requests an audience with you two."

That was odd. Emma thought they were in the pit longer the first time around. Then again, it seemed the smallest events were changing just by her being there.

Mary Margaret glared at Cora before stepping forward and climbing up the rope.

Emma followed her. They were about to meet Lancelot, or Cora disguised as Lancelot. The witch had never cleared up when exactly she had begun impersonating the knight. Whether they were meeting the real Lancelot or Cora, Emma knew for certain that she couldn't trust him. This time around, she was going to keep her cards close to her chest.

As they walked towards the table where they'd meet Lancelot, Emma couldn't help but search the camp. Killian was here somewhere. She needed to find him and change his course. A plan had sort of started in her head. If she found Killian, she could convince him to join their side and work against Cora. Just…she just needed him by her side again.

The ache in her heart still weighed her down and his eyes…God, could she even look Killian in the eyes again without being haunted by his death?

There was no sign of him anywhere and Emma tried not to be disappointed.

The guard stopped, leaving Emma and Mary Margaret no choice but to stop as well.

"Wait here." The guard told them before leaving.

"We need to get out of here." Mary Margaret said. "We need to get home."

"I know." Emma agreed. "You think I want to be stuck here while Henry's with Regina?" That was partially the truth. Regina might've changed in the future, but from Emma's memory, the last time she saw Regina during this time, the woman had almost killed Henry. That was definitely not the kind of parent Henry needed at the moment.

"Then why are you so certain that we need their help?" Mary Margaret huffed. "And who were you looking for?"

"I wasn't looking for anyone." Emma snapped, worried that she gave herself away. "I'm just…not used to this world." That was still the truth. She hadn't been in the Enchanted Forest long enough to get used to it with every intention of getting back to Henry, and the other time, she and Killian had a mission to get through.

Mary Margaret nodded. "It can be dangerous."

A man appeared from the hut.

"Lancelot?" Mary Margaret asked, a surprised grin on her face.

 _Or Cora_. Emma thought, eyes narrowed.

"Snow?" Lancelot chuckled in surprise before hugging Snow. "If I had known that you were the prisoners Mulan had brought back, I never would have locked you away. Please, forgive me."

Mary Margaret smiled. "Of course."

"Just like that?" Emma arched a brow. She did have to play up the disbelief that Mary Margaret could be so trusting. "How can we trust him?"

"He's a friend." Mary Margaret reassured.

"A friend that could've changed since the last time you met." Emma glared at Lancelot.  _Come on Mary Margaret. Don't make this hard._

"Emma." Mary Margaret admonished. "Don't be rude."

Emma's hackles raised, but she bit back her remark. She wasn't a child, and even in the future, Mary Margaret wasn't much of a mother to her.

"It's all right, Snow." Lancelot said. "She is wise not to give her trust to others so easily."

His words seemed to disappoint Mary Margaret.

"Come now, let us eat." Lancelot said. "You both must be hungry."

"Starved." Mary Margaret agreed.

* * *

Henry stared into his hot cocoa, not in the mood to really finish it. His mom and grandmother were trapped in another realm, and his grandfather just wanted him to sit back and do nothing just because he was a kid.

It wasn't fair.

He wanted to be a hero too, just like his family, so why wouldn't they let him? It's not like he was too young. He was almost eleven years old. He could be a hero too.

"I know that look." Ruby said, taking a seat beside Henry. "Snow usually has that face when she's upset about something."

Henry shrugged. "I'm no upset."

"Henry, I'm a wolf." Ruby reminded him. "I can smell emotions and I can tell when people are lying."

That was weird to know. Henry sighed. It wouldn't hurt to get someone else's opinion. "My mom and grandma are trapped in another realm, but grandpa won't let me help. Everyone still thinks I'm just a kid, but I've been through a lot too."

Ruby gave him a sympathetic look. She could certainly understand where he was coming from since Granny treated her much the same back in the Enchanted Forest. Unlike Henry, Ruby was much more aware of why Granny and David did what they did. She understood just what it meant for them to protect their loved ones. "You know it's not because you're a kid, right? I mean that's part of the reason, most certainly, but it's also because David is your grandfather and he loves you and he's responsible for you. If anything happened to you, David would never forgive himself."

Henry winced. He should've known that Ruby would say something like that. Most adults do. He knew that she was right though, and that David was probably doing what was best for him, but that didn't change the fact that Henry still wanted to help. He had every right to help. "I know, but that doesn't mean I can't help. They're my family too. I just want to help them come home."

Ruby put an arm around Henry. "I know. I want them back too, we all do, but Henry, none of us have magic. There's not much we can do. We will try, but what you need to do, is just be a kid. The school will be re-opened soon, we hope, and when it does, you can make friends and just live your life. Let the adults handle the crisis, okay?"

Unhappy about that answer, Henry just mumbled an "Okay."

Granny walked over then. "Ruby, where's David?"

"He's holding down the fort at the station." Ruby told her. "I stopped over there on my way over here, and the poor guy is fielding all kinds of calls and complaints."

"Well I got another one." Granny told her. "I don't know if it's credible, I've never met the man who just told me this, but Regina's vault is apparently here."

Ruby paled. "What?"

"He said it was under her father's grave." Granny told her. "He wanted us to tell David."

"Why didn't he go to David himself?" Ruby asked, wary of a man who'd know such a big thing, but not report it directly to David.

"I have no idea." Granny said. "He told me quickly and then got the hell out of here."

Henry was listening intently. If Regina's vault was here, and Mr. Gold brought magic to this land, then that might mean that Regina's vault could have something that could bring his mom and grandmother back home.

"Okay, I'm going to tell David." Ruby stood. "It might not be credible, but if it's true, then Regina has access to magical items that could cause chaos for all of us."

Granny nodded grimly.

Watching Ruby leave, a plan formed in Henry's head.

* * *

Across the camp, Mulan and Aurora watched as Lancelot talked with the prisoners as he showered them with food.

"Why is he being kind to them?" Aurora growled. "They were responsible for Phillip's death."

Mulan sighed. "You're new here, Aurora. Phillip trusted Lancelot. So must we."

"I want justice." Aurora hissed.

Mulan considered Aurora for a moment. "Tread carefully. It's dangerous to confuse vengeance with justice. Do you understand me?"

Aurora remained quiet, a stubborn look in her eyes.

"Do you understand me?" Mulan repeated with more intensity.

Aurora clenched her teeth. "Yes."

Mulan gave her a final warning look before walking away.

Aurora looked around before pulling out a dagger from her waistband. She clutched the hilt tightly as she returned it to it's hiding spot. That dagger would help her get justice for Phillip, no matter what.

* * *

Emma tried to act out of her element, which she was, but remembering her trip to the Enchanted Forest made it feel like she was going through a daily routine. So she made herself confused by the chimera again, though after trying it the first time, she definitely wasn't willing to eat it again, and she tried not to scrutinize Lancelot too much as she tried to see any indication that he was already Cora. She also refrained from looking around the camp for Killian in order to avoid more scrutiny from Mary Margaret and so Lancelot or Cora, whoever he was, wouldn't become suspicious.

"I don't understand." Mary Margaret started. "We were told this land didn't even exist anymore. How did you all escape the curse?"

 _Cora._  Emma thought, watching Lancelot as he spoke.

"It is a mystery." Lancelot lied.

Emma kept her expression neutral.

"The curse struck and when the smoke cleared, most of us had been torn from this land. But some of us here, in this particular region, were left behind. We don't know how, and we don't know why. Finding this safe haven wasn't easy. Took some spilled blood. But worry not. You're safe here."

If Lancelot was lying, and Emma knew that he was, then he was really Cora. Emma just knew it. The problem was, what could she change, or what should she change, or should she change anything at all? As it was, she was becoming more certain by the second that Lancelot was Cora in disguise.

"We can't stay here." Mary Margaret said. "We need to get back home. My husband is back there, and so is…"

Emma cut her off. "Everyone we care about." Like hell she was going to let Cora know about Henry this go around.

Mary Margaret shot her a confused look.

"We need a portal." Emma continued carefully. "Can you help us find one?"

Lancelot shook his head, his brow furrowed with faux worry. "Leaving is unwise. The Enchanted Forest has changed. The ogres have returned."

Emma arched a brow. She remembered the ogres well, and she wasn't keen to repeat that incident. She definitely needed a sword, which could help her find Killian. His cover in the camp had been a blacksmith. Needing a sword was just the pretense that she needed.

"Snow, please, stay here." Lancelot implored. "There are no portals left and risking a run in with the ogres is something that no one needs."

"Actually, I might know of one portal." Mary Margaret said.

"Where?" Lancelot asked.

"Cora's near." Mary Margaret told him. "I don't feel comfortable voicing my plans. She's powerful."

"Not anymore." Lancelot lied again. "The curse stripped her of her powers. But, given her reputation, we kept her locked up as a precaution."

Mary Margaret considered his words. "Nevertheless, I'm not taking any chances. Just trust me. I may have a way. Let us go?"

Lancelot looked reluctant. "I'll allow it. But on one condition, take my bravest warrior with you." He motioned someone over.

Mulan appeared at his side.

"Allow Mulan to defend you." Lancelot said.

"Thank you, Lancelot." Mary Margaret smiled. "For always looking out for me."

Emma's stomach knotted. Mary Margaret well and truly believed that this man was her friend. But how could Emma warn her that Lancelot was Cora without any proof? She could tell Mary Margaret that her lie detector went off, but would Mary Margaret believe her over someone she believed to be a close friend?

Instead, Emma needed to focus on one thing at a time and right now finding Killian was her priority. "Mulan?"

Mulan looked at her warily.

"If there's a chance that we're going to face off against these…ogres, I don't know how effective my gun might be." Emma lied. She knew how effective, but like hell she was going to risk a gunshot luring more ogres. "Is there anyone I can get a sword from? Like a sword…maker or something?"

"A blacksmith?" Mulan suggested.

 _Maybe this faking ignorance thing was working a little too well_. Emma thought. "Yeah…that."

"There is one here." Mulan said as she started walking. "I don't know how much help he will be though."

Emma walked with her. "Why do you say that?" Her heart was racing. It was a struggle for her to keep calm and keep her emotions in check.  _Please be Killian, please be Killian._

"He only has one hand." Mulan stopped nodding ahead of them.

Emma looked ahead, her heart skipping as she took in the sight of familiar, tousled dark hair, and bright blue eyes.  _Killian_.

He was sharpening a dagger, seeming as though he wasn't really paying attention to everyone around him, but Emma knew him well enough to see the relaxed and unassuming facade for what it was. She had forgotten how much like a wolf in sheep's clothing he could be.

"He's newer here." Mulan told her. "I wouldn't trust him."

Emma snorted. "From what I gather, you don't trust anyone."

Mulan glared at her before heading back towards Lancelot.

Emma took a moment to just watch him, taking him in. Here he was, alive and well, not yet the man that she fell in love with, but she knew that he was somewhere in there, under the surface of all of that revenge and pain.

The ache in her heart left her as she watched him. She could breathe now. He was alive. Her Killian was alive.

Taking a breath to calm her nerves, she walked forward, steeling herself, because he was supposed to be a stranger who she had no feelings for whatsoever. She had a feeling that pretending not to love him was going to be the hardest task she'd be undertaking.

"Excuse me?" She asked, her tone a bit too rude.

He looked up at her, and Emma found it hard to breathe again. The eyes that had been lifeless just hours ago were staring at her in awe. Emma couldn't help but feel a little prideful that he still seemed as awestruck by her now as he had when they had first met in the Enchanted Forest, when he had found her in New York, and when she had met his past self. It seemed Killian Jones always saw something in her that even she couldn't see.

He blinked a couple of times, opening and closing his mouth before he seemed to find his voice. "Aye, lass, how can I help you?"

Emma forced down her smile. "Well, I need a sword, and I'm told you're a blacksmith."

"Aye." Killian nodded. "I am that."

Her lie detector went off, as she knew it would, but she had to play this carefully. Plus, it couldn't hurt to have a little fun with him first. "So you got a sword?"

"That I do." Killian stood, leaning into her personal space. "And I'd gladly use it on you."

Emma narrowed her eyes, hoping to convey irritation, but on the inside she was happy to see Captain Innuendo. "I don't have time for games. Now, do you have a sword for me to use? Preferably on  _you_."

"Ooh, well, aren't you a tough lass." Killian smirked. "Does the lady have a name?"

"Yours first, pal." Emma growled. It was actually kind of fun acting like she had no idea who he was. It was kind of like role playing, in fact; it was just like what she used to do in bail bonds. Act a part, lure a guy in, and then he's hers. She could do this…she could pretend not to know him. She hoped. That didn't change the fact that every word he said and every look he gave her still had an effect on her.

"Killian Jones."

Emma eyed him, trying to make him squirm, but all he did was smirk back. "Emma Swan."

"Swan." He breathed her name like a prayer.

Emma's facade almost broke at hearing her name, his name for her, on his lips, when she thought she might never have heard it again.

"So, sword?"

Killian backed away. "Follow me."

Emma followed him over to a hut, where he held the flap open for her. "Such a gentleman."

"I'm always a gentleman." Killian said, sending Emma's head spinning.

She might be able to act the part she needed to, but she wasn't entirely certain she would get used to reliving the same dialogue over again, especially since this wasn't the beanstalk. Was that going to change too? God, what if this was all a mistake? She should  _not_ be here, messing with the timeline. She was probably breaking a thousand magical rules that Regina never got around to teaching her. But as she looked at Killian, as he sorted through the weapons in the hut, her heart  _knew_  that he was more than worth it.

Killian picked out a few swords and laid them out on an empty space on the table in front of Emma. While she had asked Killian and David to train her with swords in Neverland, they never got around to it until just a few weeks ago, after Rumplestiltskin's banishment, so Emma's basic knowledge was still at the forefront of her mind. Which meant that she could recognize these types of swords. One was a sabre, the second a claymore, and the third a cutlass. Since her very limited training was with her father's arming sword and Killian's cutlass, Emma picked up the cutlass.

"A fine choice." Killian smirked.

"Yeah." Emma unsheathed the blade and twirled it experimentally, before bringing it up to Killian's neck, and stepping back. She learned the hard way that getting into his personal space with a weapon, regardless of whether or not he was armed, was a bad idea. The man was a three hundred year old combat expert who had a penchant for cheating and using every disadvantage an opponent had against them. "And now, you're going to tell me who you really are."

"I've told you who I am." Killian said, eyeing the blade, not warily, but intently, waiting for her to make a wrong move.

"I believe you're Killian Jones." Emma agreed. "But you're not a blacksmith. You see, I have this superpower. I can tell when people are lying. So…who are you really?"

Killian's eyes met hers, and Emma could see him weighing his options. "What's in it for me, if I tell you the truth?"

"What do you want?" Emma asked.

Killian cocked his head. "All right, I'll bite. If I don't tell you the truth, what are you going to do?"

"Tell everyone here that you're not who you say you are and watch them throw you in the pit with Cora." Emma told him.

Killian tensed at the mention of Cora.

"What? Afraid of a frail old woman?" Emma snarked.

"I assure you Cora is far from frail." Killian warned.

"So Lancelot was lying about her magic." Emma said.

Killian arched a brow.

"My mother is friends with Lancelot." Emma explained. "He doesn't know about my superpower. He told us Cora's magic was stripped and that she wasn't a threat. So is Lancelot working with Cora?"

"How would I know that?" Killian asked.

"Because you knew Cora still had her magic." Emma pressed the blade against his neck, careful not to cut him. "And I think you know that if I reveal you're working with Cora, it could only make things worse for you. So start talking, buddy."

"If I tell you the truth, how can I trust that you will give me what I want in return?"

Emma paused, thinking of how she could get Killian to trust her. "How about this, you tell me what you want, and I'll tell you exactly how I can make that happen, so long as you stay on my side. If I suspect for a moment that you're working against me with Cora, I'm going to take your other hand  _and_ your  _other_  sword." She hoped she was convincingly threatening, considering just how empty her threats were.

By the bob of Killian's Adam's apple, Emma knew that  _he_ was certainly convinced.

"I need a portal to the Land Without Magic." Killian told her. "I'm seeking someone who's there."

"Who and why?"

"If I told you that, then you won't help me." Killian said.

"How do you know?"

"Because I can see that you're a good person." Killian's smirk was bitter. "I'm not. I'm a pirate, and a villain. You won't let me come with you with dastardly intentions such as mine."

"You want to hurt someone?" Emma guessed. She glanced at his stump, hidden under the hookless brace. "Your missing hand have anything to do with that?"

"You're quite perceptive, aren't you?"

"I've been told that before." Emma said, feeling dread in her gut. She knew that this Killian was still out for revenge against Rumplestiltskin, but she wasn't sure how she'd get Killian to let go of his revenge. She feared that this time around she might fail to make Killian become the hero he was at heart. "Look, maybe you're not a good guy, but you and I both want the same thing. A portal. My son and my dad are back in the Land Without Magic, and I need to get home. You help me, and I'll help you."

"And you know where to come by a portal?" Killian's eyebrow rose.

"Actually, I do." Emma said. "My mother, one of Lancelot's guards, and I are going to go find one soon. So, here's the deal, I keep my mouth shut and help you get to the Land Without Magic, and you stop working with Cora. Deal?"

He looked at her of a long moment, considering her words, before his lips curled slowly into a smirk. "You have an accord, Swan." He held his hand out for her to shake.

Emma removed the cutlass from Killian's neck, sheathing the sword, and taking his hand. "You betray me, I will make good on those promises." She squeezed his hand tightly and glanced down at his crotch before meeting his eyes again.

"I wouldn't dream of betraying you,  _love_." Killian chuckled.

Emma's heart fluttered at the endearment. "I'm not your love. Now, come on."

* * *

Regina roughly tossed her things into boxes. Her removal from office had come sooner than she expected. She hoped that with her magic back, people would be too scared to push her out of office. Apparently, they were not, and everyone wanted her head on a platter. Her removal from office would just be the beginning.

It made Regina want to burn this whole town to the ground.

She was the Evil Queen. These people deserved her ire. They were supposed to fear her and let her rule over them. Now that the curse was broken, it seemed that everyone had grown a backbone. All she wanted was her happy ending, but she was a villain, and villains never seemed to win.

It was all Ms. Swan's fault. Ever since she arrived in town, everything in Regina's life had been upended, and then that little blonde bitch had to break her curse and ruin everything for good. Not to mention that Henry had been taken away too. How dare those Charmings do this to her. Her curse was supposed to destroy their happiness, but now it had destroyed her happiness. She had nothing left.

The only small measure of comfort she had was that Ms. Swan and Snow White were trapped in another realm, or a desolate wasteland, and that they had no way back home. Regina smiled at the thought. Without the Savior and Snow White here, she could get the town to buckle underneath her. All she had to do first was get rid of Prince Charming.

She could wage a war and win.

She could get Henry and her happiness back.

Her cell phone rang. That surprised her. No one in Storybrooke liked her right now and it's not like she ever had any friends. Her phone almost dropped from her hands when she saw that it was Henry calling her.

A smile broke out onto her face. "Henry?"

" _Hey mom_." Henry replied.

"I'm surprised you're calling." Regina admitted. "I thought you hated me."

" _I don't hate you._ " Henry told her. " _I just…I don't like that you do bad things_."

Regina winced. She had already been plotting evil acts, and she hadn't even thought of how it might make Henry feel. He had to understand though. She was the Evil Queen; she couldn't change who she was. "I'm the Evil Queen, Henry. I'm supposed to do bad things."

Henry gave a disappointed sigh that tugged at Regina's heart. " _I wish you didn't. I think you could be good if you really wanted to be._ "

Regina didn't respond to that. "Is there a reason you called? Are you okay?"

" _Um, yeah._ " Henry said. " _I just wanted to see if you'd like to have lunch. I'm at Granny's and I just wanted to talk._ "

His words surprised her again. She wondered why he wanted to meet her, but it was a good thing. If he wanted to meet with her and talk, she could convince him that she was in the right, and maybe she could even convince him to come home. "Okay. I'll meet you there now. I'm just finishing packing up my office. I've been removed as mayor."

" _Sorry._ " Henry muttered.

"It's all right." Regina told him. It wouldn't be long until she gained her power back anyhow. "I'll be there soon." Hanging up her phone, she grabbed her boxes and left the office. Henry was going to come around, she just knew it.

As soon as Regina left the office, Henry entered it quietly. He knew that she had to have skeleton keys for the whole town somewhere after falsifying murder charges on Mary Margaret. He just had to find them.

Quickly, he searched a few cabinets before he found a large set of keys. Inwardly cheering, Henry tucked the keys into his pocket and left the office.

* * *

They were just waiting on "Lancelot" to bring them more supplies and see them off, so Emma figured that she could go for a short walk, not too far away, in order to clear her head. She needed time to herself to figure out what the hell she was going to do. All she cared about when she first got here was saving Killian, and now, she was scared that she changed too much already, and that she screwed up the future.

How much had she changed in the future just by changing the things she had already changed? How different was everything going to be now?

Speaking of things to change, Emma looked out at the refugee camp. If Emma hadn't known the future, she'd be much less anxious about leaving these innocent people to die at Cora's hand. But what the hell could she do, claim Cora had magic, that she was impersonating Lancelot, and that she was going to kill them all? Everyone would think she was insane. Her magic couldn't protect them, could it? Hell, even if she could use her magic, she had no idea what spell to use.

Maybe she could stop Cora somehow. Or maybe Cora wouldn't kill the refugees. The only reason she had murdered them in the first place was to assimilate Hook into the heroes group. So if Killian was with them, there should be no reason for Cora to kill these people…or she would do it for another reason.

She'd have to figure out something, but the others were waiting for her.

If she did try to warn people about Cora, she also feared tipping "Lancelot" off. Knowing that she'd be risking Cora having the advantage didn't quell Emma's guilt about all of these people dying, though she hoped that she already changed enough that Cora wouldn't go to that extreme, but what if she hadn't changed enough?

Emma was getting a headache from all of this overthinking.

Speaking of Killian, he was currently receiving glares from Mulan and distrustful looks from Mary Margaret, neither one of whom understood Emma's reasons for bringing him along. Especially since Emma had just vaguely said something about needing all the help they could get. Mary Margaret was really confused by Emma's actions, knowing that Emma's trust was not given easily.

She turned away, shaking her head, feeling like things were about to get a lot harder, when she bumped into someone. "Oh I'm sorry."

"It's all right." A familiar voice said.

Emma froze  _knowing_ that it absolutely wasn't possible for her to be hearing  _that_  voice. She looked up to see Marian smiling politely at her. Emma had to force herself not to do a double take, clenching her jaw to keep it from dropping. There was no way that Marian could be alive right now. Not when she and Killian hadn't time travelled yet. Not when Emma knew that Regina, as of this point in time, executed Marian. Schooling her features, Emma smiled at Marian. "No, really it was my fault." Emma said, as her thoughts were raced through her head.

How in the hell was it possible for Marian to be alive? Unless it was Cora messing with Emma's mind. No, that couldn't be possible either. Cora had no reason to mess with Emma, and she definitely wouldn't know about Marian. Could it be Zelena? Emma doubted it, because she knew that Zelena was still in Oz. So how was Marian here?

"Are you all right?" Marian asked.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine." Emma said.

Marian seemed bemused. "You're not from here, are you?"

"Um, technically I am." Emma chuckled, trying to play up the stranger in a strange land thing. "But really I'm from the Land Without Magic. The Enchanted Forest is entirely new territory for me."

"Everything is new territory for us now." Marian's tone was sad.

Emma nodded. "As new as this is for me, my kid would've been excited. He would've thought that this was one big adventure." She was prodding for answers. If this was Marian, then Marian would know about her own child.

Marian smiled warmly, a hint of longing and empathy in her eyes. "You have a child? How old?"

"Ten." Emma said, careful not to mention Henry's name. She still wasn't sure whether or not this was really Marian after all, but finding out details that only Marian would know, well details that Emma hoped Cora wouldn't know, to confirm that this was Marian.

"I have a son." Marian admitted. "Roland. He's only two…no, he'd be three by now." She seemed heartbroken and dejected over the thought of her child growing up without her.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Emma asked gently.

"Before the curse when…" Marian shuddered. "Robin and Roland went ahead of me, to find a new camp, I stayed behind to wait on an injured friend who I was caring for. The Evil Queen…" Marian broke off, a distant look in her eyes.

"Regina?" Emma asked.

Marian looked startled. "That was her name I suppose. I only ever remember her as the Evil Queen. My husband and I aren't from these kingdoms. We're more east, from the Sherwood Forest. We only travelled across these lands to the Northwest where the Dark One resided. After that, we had been traveling to return to Sherwood, but the Evil Queen had delayed us quite a bit."

"What happened after you and your family separated?" Emma was curious. She didn't know all of the details for how Marian ended up in prison, but this Marian was giving her so many details, and she was so genuine, that Emma's lie detector wasn't going off at all.

"The Evil Queen was looking for Snow White." Marian said. "Of course, the entire village knew she was there hiding, but no one wanted to give her up. I was just the unlucky one chosen as an example. I was supposed to be executed, but I was rescued from my cell by a girl."

Emma knew there was no way that could've been her. The book would've always had her and Killian in it if they had always been meant to time travel and her parents original story would've always been the one that she and Killian had changed. But that's not what happened. Did that mean that Marian was never meant to die by Regina's hand? Had she still been alive and wandering the Enchanted Forest or other lands looking for Robin and Roland, and Emma's interference changed all of that?

"I'm trying to find a way back to my kid." Emma told her. "He's with his grandfather over in the other realm, but Regina is there too, so I need to get back. Maybe you could come with us, and see if Robin and Roland were taken by Regina's curse?" Of course, Emma knew that wasn't the case, but if Cora was still going to murder these people, and Emma really did need to find a way to stop her, Emma couldn't in good conscience let Marian die too. Marian needed to come with them.

Even though she was wary, Marian considered Emma's offer. While she wanted to stay here in the hopes that Robin and Roland found their way here, there was no guarantee that the curse hadn't taken them, and she could be waiting for nothing. More than that, she was not a woman to stand idly by when she could be doing something to help others. If Emma needed help getting back to her son, and if it could mean a reunion with Robin and Roland, Marian didn't see how she could turn Emma down. "I supposed that could work. I might have a better chance finding them out there instead of being stuck here."

Emma smiled. "I'm Emma Swan, by the way."

"Marian."

Emma hoped that she was doing the right thing by saving Marian, again, and that this wasn't going to come back to bite her in the ass, again.

* * *

David pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to more complaints from citizens. He didn't have time for this. Ruby told him about the possibility that Regina's vault was here and he needed to go investigate it.

Ruby was trying to help by answering phones, just as he was, and writing down messages for David to get to later, but even that wasn't much of a relief.

He was just glad people stopped coming by the station to take up all of his time.

The sound of the station door opening reached David's ear as he hung up the phone and he groaned.

Ruby shot him a sympathetic look.

David turned just as Regina was hauled into the station, Granny's crossbow at her back, her hands tied with rope, and the dwarves surrounding her with pickaxes. "What's going on?"

"This one decided my diner needed her presence." Granny growled. "Luckily, her magic failed her and we managed to capture her ass and bring her in."

"I told you, Henry called me." Regina snapped. "And my magic won't fail me for long."

"Oh right, and the kid is conveniently missing?" Leroy growled at her.

"What?" David exclaimed, panic seizing at him. "Okay, start from the beginning."

Granny opened her mouth to speak, but Regina beat her to the punch. "Henry called me to invite me to lunch at Granny's and when I got there he wasn't there."

"Why would Henry call you?" Ruby hissed. "He's scared of you."

"I'm his mother." Regina snapped.

"No." David said fiercely. "Emma is. Now, where is Henry?"

"I don't know." Regina growled.

David hated it, but he could see Regina was telling the truth and she did seem worried about Henry. Before he could question them more, Ruby grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into Emma's office, shutting the door behind them.

"I didn't want to let Regina know that we know she has her vault." Ruby explained before David could question her. "David, Henry and I were talking earlier. He wants to help bring Emma and Snow back, and he heard us talking about Regina's vault."

Fear gripped at David's heart. "You think he went to the vault."

Ruby nodded. "He must've lured Regina to Granny's so that she wouldn't be at the vault."

"Okay, I'm going after him." David told her. "You help keep Regina here until Henry is safe. I don't want to risk her going to her vault for any reason, and I don't want to risk near Henry."

"Okay." Ruby agreed.

David hurried out of the station, praying that Henry hadn't yet gotten to the vault or that he hadn't gotten into anything yet. He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to Henry.

* * *

Hook watched the Swan girl walk away. She was a good distraction from the glares coming from the warrior and Swan's mother. He was surprised at their ages until he figured the curse must've frozen the mother, but that didn't explain how Swan aged. Perhaps he'd be able to question her about it on their journey.

He wondered if betraying Cora was the smart move. She had promised him a way to get his revenge, yet she brought them here to this camp, no set plan for moving forward.

The Swan girl, however, had a plan that he could work with. She certainly was impressive, amazing, tough, and perceptive. The moment he laid eyes on her, a part of him was so awestruck by her that he stared at her like a fool, while the other part of him knew that he was in trouble. His heart had raced as though he were a schoolboy with a crush. It was absolutely ridiculous; he would not have feelings for this blonde beauty, not when he still had to avenge Milah.

Still, the way Swan had glowed with the sun shining on her…it was so striking, breathtaking, that Hook was certain that the image of her standing above him was burned in his mind forever.

Shaking himself, he formed his own plan just in case Swan's failed. Cora had given him a pair of cuffs that would allow him and her to climb up a beanstalk for a compass that Cora said was necessary for any portal that they used whether it was a magic bean or any other way. He hadn't yet shared that with Swan, but until a portal was a guarantee, then he'd keep his cards close to his vest.

He'd go with Swan, her mother, and the warrior to the castle for this so called portal, and if that failed, he'd take the cuffs, get the compass, and procure a magic bean.

Swan's approach caught his attention. It seemed she very easily got his attentions, no matter how much his mind warred with his heart on the matter.

A tawny skinned woman with raven hair accompanied her.

Swan introduced the woman, Marian, to their little group, and Hook found her striking still, the only blonde amongst the rest of their raven haired group. She seemed to be the sun that they all orbited around. Or was that just him?

It's not like blondes didn't exist in the Enchanted Forest, but there weren't many that he had come across, and certainly none that stood out like Emma. There was a glow about her, a magnetism, whether she realized it or not, that simply drew him to her. She was just so striking. It wasn't really something he felt putting words to could justify. It was as though her beauty, her aura, her very essence was just so awing and extraordinary that she was ineffable. Ineffably enthralling and captivating…

He shook his head. He shouldn't be having such thoughts about a woman that he just met. Milah and avenging her death should be his focus. Finally getting his revenge on Rumplestiltskin after three hundred years should be his focus.

"…know you from somewhere?" Marian said.

Hook looked between Marian and Snow White, trying not to be obvious that he missed the beginning of the conversation, because he had been too wrapped up in his thoughts about Emma as he stared at the blonde in question.

From the look on Emma's face, she had noticed his gaze, and the upturn of her lips made him feel as though his attentions weren't all that unwelcome.

"Yes, you do look familiar." Snow said.

Marian stared at Snow only a moment longer before it clicked. "You're the girl. You saved me from the Evil Queen."

Snow gasped when recognition clicked. "You were the girl from the village! Regina was looking for me, and took you to be made an example of." Snow surprised the woman by hugging her. "I'm so glad you made it out of there all right."

"I'm just glad you were there to save me." Marian said, returning the hug. "I can't believe I was saved by  _the_ Snow White. I'm surprised I didn't recognize you from your wanted posters."

"As am I." Snow chuckled.

Mulan moved away from the group as some of Lancelot's men approached with supplies, and Marian and Snow became engrossed in conversation.

Emma herself seemed full of questions, asking her mother for the full story.

"I was hiding in disguise in one of the homes, but I could still hear and see everything that was happening when Regina came to the village." Snow explained. "I saw her take Marian away, and I couldn't just runaway and leave Marian to die when I could do something to save her. It was risky going into the castle, but I knew where the tunnels were, and I knew Regina wouldn't place too many guards on one person in a cell. I just went in with Grumpy and Doc for backup. We actually really lucked out, because it turned out there wasn't a single guard down there."

"Very lucky." Marian continued. "They used a pickaxe on the lock, and got me out. We separated, myself and one of your dwarves ran in another direction, and I don't think we walked until we were a mile or so away. The dwarf left me once I was back in the village. My friend was missing and I was so terrified that Regina would come after me." Marian finished her part of the story. "Instead of going east to catch up with Robin and Roland, I went west, just in case Regina put me on the next set of wanted posters."

Mulan returned, alerting the group that their supplies were ready. She warned Marian that if she was coming then she needed to get a weapon. They only had to wait on Marian a few minutes before she returned with a bow and a quiver of arrows.

Once they had everything they needed, they began their trek, following Snow's lead.

* * *

Henry entered the vault with nervous anticipation. He had no idea what Regina had down here, but surely there was something that could bring Emma and Snow back. Magic was the solution to the problem, he knew that it was. He could find a way to bring them back home and they're family would be reunited again.

There were many cabinets and shelves with so many items that Henry had no idea where to start. There was a wall full of drawers and it sounded to Henry as though the drawers were thumping. Walking over, he opened one up, shocked to see a glowing heart beating away. Quickly, he shut the drawer back, eyeing the other drawers warily.

Figuring that he needed to look elsewhere, Henry walked to another part of the vault and saw a chest. Wondering what could be in there, Henry opened it.

Two green snakes reared and hissed at him causing Henry to jump back before someone slammed the chest closed.

Henry looked up to see a worried David staring at him.

David helped Henry up and checked him for injuries. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Henry said. "How did you know where I was?"

"Ruby put it together when Regina told us you stood her up for lunch." David said. "Henry, what were you thinking?"

"I just want them back." Henry told him. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. When the curse broke, we were all supposed to be together. Now they're trapped and we might never see them again."

"Oh, Henry." David pulled him into a hug. "I know. I know exactly how you feel, but that doesn't mean that you should go out of your way to put yourself in danger. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. What about Emma? Do you think she'd want you risking your safety for her?"

Henry shook his head.

"I know that this isn't easy Henry." David sighed. "But I know in my heart that Emma and Snow will find a way back to us. We just have to believe in them. If they can't, then I will find a way. I know you want to help, but you have to understand that magic can be very dangerous. I don't want you getting hurt."

Henry nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry, grandpa."

"It's okay." David said. "Let's get you back home, okay?"

* * *

"Follow my lead. Step where I step. Do exactly as I say, and you might survive." Mulan told them after Snow explained that she wanted to go to her castle.

"Great pep talk." Emma huffed. "But I think we're good. I just killed a dragon this week." Though in hindsight, it had been more due to luck than any skill, but hey, Mulan didn't need to know that.

"Have you ever seen an ogre?" Mulan asked, her perpetual glare much less effective this time around for Emma.

Emma shrugged. "Pretty sure I've dated a few."

Hook snorted at the comment, earning a glare from Mary Margaret.

Emma didn't mind. Now that she was reliving all of this, she could appreciate the humor in her own words more. Besides, other than Killian, all of her relationships ended up being with a guy who wasn't great or ended very badly or both.

Mulan stepped forward. "Legend has it that when they kill you, the last thing you see is yourself dying in the reflection in their eyes."

"I doubt that intimidation tactic will work on Swan here." Hook said, coming to stand next to Emma. "She'll likely be the one scaring the ogres off."

"Ha ha." Emma said dryly, fighting off a smirk. "Careful buddy, or I might scare  _you_ off."

Hook winked at her.

Emma caught the strange look on Mary Margaret's face. Damn, she really hoped that she didn't sound like she was flirting with Hook. She didn't think she did, but it was hard to tell. Maybe it was because she was fifteen months wiser and she had been  _dating_ Hook after all. She changed so much in the past year, so maybe she couldn't go back to who she was before, and maybe her openness was what Mary Margaret found strange. God, having Hook, Henry, her parents, her brother, and Elsa in her life really brought down her walls. Could she even pretend to find them again and act as though her heart was a fortress and hold her emotions at bay?

"We need to keep moving." Mulan said. "It'll be dark soon." She turned and stalked ahead of the group.

"So what's the plan?" Emma asked her mother as soon as the rest of them started walking to catch up to Mulan.

Mary Margaret glared at Hook.

"Oh, am I not to be privy to the plan that I am helping execute?" Hook arched a brow. "There's common sense for you."

"Jones, be nice." Emma reprimanded.

Hook huffed. "Very well." He walked ahead of them towards Mulan muttering that "the warrior was better company anyway."

Emma loved the man, but she forgot how he could be a jackass when he wasn't truly on the side of good. She turned back to her mother. "So, plan?"

Mary Margaret regarded her strangely for a moment before speaking. "The wardrobe."

"The wardrobe as in  _the_ wardrobe?" Emma asked feigning surprise while she was calculating if she should get the ashes before Cora or leave the ashes as she had before. "The wardrobe that sent little baby me to Maine? You think that can get us back to Storybrooke?"

"Wait, a wardrobe is a portal?" Marian asked. "That's a little farfetched, isn't it?"

"Well C.S. Lewis thought it worked." Emma shrugged.

"Who?" Marian seemed even more confused.

"The wardrobe was made from an Enchanted Tree." Mary Margaret explained. "It allowed David and I to send Emma to the Land Without Magic ahead of the curse. Doing that allowed Emma to become the Savior that she was foreseen to be."

Emma shifted uncomfortably at the title, and was surprised to find that it wasn't for show. Even after all this time, did she really still not consider herself to be the Savior?

"The wardrobe will take us to your realm?" Marian asked.

"I don't know." Mary Margaret said. "First, we have to see if it survived the curse, then we'll worry about making it work."

Marian nodded. "Then we should keep moving. The sooner we find that wardrobe, the better."

"Agreed." Emma said.

They picked up their pace, determine to be reunited with their families. Nothing was going to stop them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now Emma's changing things already and yay Killian is alive! Told you guys it was temporary! Also Marian's here. That's gonna be fun. Please leave comments and let me know what you think so far.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma's struggling with the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so short, but more to come! Also posting in honor of Jennifer Morrison's birthday!

_One must not let oneself be overwhelmed by sadness. - Jackie Kennedy_

* * *

The fact that Killian was alive and walking next to her was all that really kept Emma from regretting her decision to change things. Still, she couldn't help but wonder about the consequences of her time traveling. It's not like she had thought this through. How could she? One second she was in Storybrooke with Killian's cold body and the next she was transported to the past, either by her magic or…something. She wasn't even sure herself. The question remained, would she keep changing things, or keep things the same? Or was it too late to go back to what originally happened?

She glanced at Hook. With him here, and Marian for that matter, Emma knew that she changed too much already. Her path was chosen and now she had to live with it and the consequences of choosing Killian. That she could do. She loved him after all. She'd change everything if that meant keeping him alive.

Hook watched the Swan girl with intrigue. She was a tough lass to be sure, and she made him feel something. For the first time in three hundred years; there was more going on in his heart than just anger and the thirst for revenge. That only served to make him even more curious about her. "So, just who are you, Swan?"

Emma stumbled a bit at his words.

Hook caught her arm to steady her.

"You already know that." Emma tried to shake off hearing those familiar words again.

"I know your name, Swan." He told her, letting go of her arm. "But people are more than just their names."

Emma scoffed, trying to play the part of uninterested stranger. "Why would you care?"

"You intrigue me." Hook admitted.

"Oh, and why is that?" Emma ignored her fluttering heart. She loved him, but he was still on that precarious line between villainy and heroism. She had to tread carefully with him.

Hook seemed to contemplate his answer. Why he was curious about her, well, he didn't quite know himself. There was just something about her. Something that drew him in. "A pirate can't just be curious?"

Emma really looked at him then, wondering what he was getting at, but he appeared sincere. He was always genuine when it came to her. Perhaps, giving him a little bit of something wasn't a bad idea. "You know the Dark Curse, right?"

"Aye."

"Well, I'm the one who broke it." Emma shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "I'm the Savior."

 _The Savior?_  Hook paused. So this was who he was waiting for for twenty-eight years? The one who finally broke the curse, allowing him to get his revenge on the crocodile. That also explained why Swan and her mother were the same age. The Savior had escaped the curse, thus escaping it's age freezing aspects. "The Savior? What does that mean, exactly?"

"Trust me, I'm still trying to figure that out." Emma sighed.

Interestingly, she seemed more put out to be the Savior than anything. Hook's curiosity grew. Just who was this woman?

"So who do you want revenge on?" She asked, eyeing him. Truth be told, Emma was curious if Hook would dance around her question or tell her the truth. This wasn't the beanstalk after all.

"Why do you want to know?" Hook asked warily.

"You get to know something about me." Emma shrugged. "Tit for tat and all that."

Her smirk made his heart tingle. Captain Hook's heart did not tingle. "If it helps, I'm after another villain."

"Helps what?" Emma asked. "Your cause?"

Truthfully, he found himself wanting to justify himself to her. He didn't want her to look at him as if he was a villain, despite the fact that he was one. It made him uncomfortable that he wanted her to see him as something more than what he was. "Do you know of the Dark One?"

Emma hesitated. She couldn't very well lie to him, but should she start trying to convince him that revenge wasn't the answer? "He's the one that took your hand."

Hook knew he shouldn't be surprised, she was a perceptive lass, but he still was nonetheless. "He took more than that."

Her eyes held sympathy when she looked at him.

"He took someone from you, didn't he?" Emma asked. It was weird to have knowledge of the future and knowledge of Killian's past, when here he was, completely unaware of what they would one day mean to each other, his heart still set on avenging his first love.

Hook stiffened, staring at Emma as if he was searching for something.

His probing eyes made Emma curse at herself. She wasn't being too obvious, was she?

"Aye." He said quietly. "He murdered someone I loved."

Emma looked away from him. "I'm sorry, Hook."

"The only one who'll be sorry is the crocodile." Hook snarled, glaring off into the horizon ahead of them.

Emma winced.

How was she ever going to convince him that his revenge wasn't worth his life?

* * *

When the curse broke, young Liam Jones thought that his life would be different. He thought that his father would find him and that he would no longer be living on the streets with no one to care for him or love him, all the while hiding his plight from his teachers and fellow classmates.

Liam should've known better by now. Wishing for something and actually getting it were two different things, and more often than not wishes were futile. Still, he hoped that maybe his father would come back for him. He still hoped that they could be a family again.

Yet, here it was that his pessimism was proven right. The curse was broken and his father was nowhere to be found.

It was still early. The curse hadn't even been broken that long, but the fact that his father wasn't anywhere to be found still hurt.

He had to keep looking though, especially before the schools opened back up. Then how could he hide his predicament? How could he hide the fact that he was nothing more than a homeless orphan?

He needed to find his father.

With his jaw set with determination, Liam pressed on, intent on searching all of Storybrooke until his father was found.

* * *

Emma cricked her neck, stretching her limbs while they were taking a rest. It was still a long walk until they reached the castle, and Mulan decided a fifteen minute rest was in order. Emma wouldn't have minded a longer rest, but they had to get to the wardrobe before Cora. She couldn't let that witch get the ashes again.

She just needed to figure out what to do with Cora. If they left her here in the Enchanted Forest, Cora could still find another portal, and she might kill countless people. If she did come over to Storybrooke with them, she'd still be dangerous. There had to be a way to rid her of her magic. So long as Cora had that, she was a threat. Emma sighed, poking at the dirt under her feet. Mulan had dragged Hook off to find fresh water, not trusting the pirate to get it himself, and her mother scouting ahead to be sure that they were on the right path towards the castle, not that much of the terrain had changed. Marian had had experience with scouting as well, so Snow took her along for an extra set of eyes.

That left Emma alone at their meeting spot. Her thoughts were all over the place. If only she had a time travel manual to help her. Or a spell book that would help her figure out how to bind Cora's magic. That was the key. If she could make Cora powerless, then things would be so much easier.

So lost in her thoughts, Emma didn't hear someone coming up behind her.

Aurora pulled Emma back by her hair and held a dagger to her throat. "You killed my Phillip, and now you're going to pay."

Emma rolled her eyes. Of course she forgot that Aurora wanted revenge. Though considering what had happened to her in the past twelve hours, she wasn't surprised that something slipped her mind.

Before Aurora could carry out her threat, Emma grabbed Aurora by the arms and flipped her over, slamming the princess into the ground.

Aurora lost her breath and her grip on the dagger, which Emma quickly swiped.

Holding the dagger out, ready for the princess if she attacked again, Emma glared. "Next time take on someone you can handle in a fight."

There was some movement in the trees and the rest of the group joined them.

"What happened?" Mulan snapped, rushing to Aurora's side. She glared up at Emma. "What did you do to her?"

Emma's temper flared. "Hey, I was defending myself. Your  _friend_  here attacked me from behind. Tell her if she wants revenge for Phillip, then she should go find a wraith."

Hook looked over Emma for any injuries, surprised at the protective feeling that rose up inside of him so fiercely. He stepped over to her side, trying not to make it obvious that he was backing her up in case Aurora was out for more blood.

Emma tried to ignore his presence as to seem as though he were still a new acquaintance, but she couldn't help but appreciate his silent support.

Mulan helped the winded Aurora up and practically dragged her away. "We need to talk."

Once they were out of sight, Marian and Snow joined Emma and Hook.

"Are you all right?" Her mother asked, concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine." Emma huffed. "I can take care of myself." Truth be told, Emma still wasn't used to Mary Margaret's mothering. They only had had a few months to try and get used to the change that the curse brought to their relationship; it didn't help that Emma had once again been separated from both her parents for a year, and that when she was with them it was one crisis after another. It had only been since Rumplestiltskin's banishment that Emma and her parents started bonding more, and now Emma's accidental time traveling had her back at square one.

Snow looked disappointed by her words.

Emma sighed. "Let's go see if they're done talking. We need to get moving."

* * *

Even though his grandfather had assured him that Emma and Snow would find their way back home, Henry still worried. They had no idea where Emma and Snow were, or even if they were safe or alive.

No, he couldn't think like that. They were alive, and they would come home. Still, Henry wished that there was something that he could do to help.

He looked around the park, seeing lots of people walking around.

The curse breaking had left everyone disoriented in their daily lives.

Henry wondered if businesses, other than Granny's which hadn't closed at all, would open back up soon. School was closed indefinitely. There was absolutely nothing for him to do other than stay at Granny's diner all day under Granny's watchful eye reading or writing, or playing in the park under Granny's watchful eye. It was very frustrating.

Movement near him caught his eye, and he turned.

A boy his age was sitting on a bench by himself, looking around as though he were looking for someone.

Henry got up and walked over to the boy, feeling Granny's eyes on him.

The boy seemed to sense Henry's approach and looked at him warily.

Henry slowed to a stop before the boy. "Hi, I'm Henry."

The boy said nothing at first, instead pushing his shaggy brown hair out of his face, revealing dark brown eyes. It struck Henry that he had seen this boy in class before, but he never spoke, and the teachers never called on him, so Henry didn't even know his name.

"You looked like you were waiting for someone." Henry said. "Did the curse take someone from you?"

The boy still didn't speak.

Undeterred, Henry sat next to the boy. "I can help you if you want."

"I don't need help." The boy finally spoke. "I'm fine on my own."

Henry arched a brow. "You sound like my mom."

That earned him a glare. "Yeah, comparing me to the Evil Queen just makes my day."

Henry's eyes widened. "Oh no, I meant my real mom. Emma Swan."

"The sheriff, right?" The boy looked intrigued. "She broke the curse?"

"Yeah." Henry told him. "She's the Savior."

"That's cool." The boy said. A sad look crossed his face before he forced a smile. "I'm Liam, by the way. Liam Jones."

Henry smiled. A name was definitely progress. "So, you were looking for someone?"

Liam's face fell. "That doesn't matter. Want to go hang out somewhere warmer? I'm freezing my butt off."

Henry agreed and led Liam over to Granny, knowing that he'd need his chaperone to shadow them. Liam didn't seem to mind, and Henry felt as though he had already made a new friend.

* * *

Aurora had held them up too long it seemed, and night was upon them, forcing them to make camp for the night.

Mulan seemed the surliest of them all over the matter, and Aurora had remained quiet, obviously having been properly chastised for her actions. Neither spoke as they sat next to each other roasting rabbits.

Emma sat next to Hook as they munched on some berries and rabbits that the group managed to capture; she tried not to pay too much attention to him as it was clear that Snow, who was sitting with Marian and chatting amicably, kept glancing over at Emma and Hook suspiciously. She hoped that her mother was just wary of Hook, and not scrutinizing Emma's behavior around him.

Emma zoned them out, staring into the fire, her thoughts all over the place again. It had been quite a day, and she was exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. She had freaking time travelled! How had that even happen? Was it her magic? Did her grief over Killian's death cause her magic to do this? Or had it been a villain that they hadn't known about? But why would a villain send her back in time?

"Quite a day, eh Swan?" Hook whispered next to her, startling her out of her thoughts.

She glanced at him, seeing a smirk on his features. "Quite." She tried to sound terse. Though the longer she was around Killian, the harder it was to remember that they were supposed to have just met when all Emma wanted to do was kiss him, or hold him tight and never let go, or just be able to smile at him.

He eyed her like she was a challenge that he was excited to undertake. "You know," He leaned in closer. "You may be afraid to talk and reveal yourself, but I do quite like a challenge."

Emma's heart thudded hard against her ribs. Those words again. She gave him a frosty look, or at least attempted it. "Is that what I am? Just another challenge for the great Captain Hook to conquer?"

Hook met her eyes with an intensity that startled her. It was as though he was searching her soul for the answer himself. "Perhaps I'm not sure yet." He admitted softly.

"Well, I have news for you buddy." She leaned in, her eyes narrowed. "It's going to take a lot more than a pretty face and charm to win me over."

Hook smirked. "Of that, I have no doubt."

It was then that Emma realized how close they were, so she leaned away, glancing around to see if anyone else had noticed. Her mother had, and she was looking very suspicious again. Emma silently cursed. She was trying her best not to be obvious about her feelings towards Hook, but maybe she wasn't hiding it well enough. Maybe it was better to try and distance herself from Hook until she could get more control over herself and her head was clearer.

Hook's eyes were still on her, so she chanced a look in his direction. His expression was serious, his brow crinkling as though he were trying to figure her out.

Emma turned away, hoping that she could figure out how to keep him at arm's length without letting him go. Though she doubted she'd figure it out any time soon. With a sigh, Emma returned to her food, not that she was very hungry.

After a few moments of pretending to eat, Emma turned back to Hook. She might as well use her future knowledge to get him to talk. "So, what can you tell me about Cora?"

Hook arched a brow. "Other than having magic, she has every intention of reaching the Land Without Magic."

Emma was surprised that Hook actually told the truth, but then again he was on her side now, and betraying Cora meant that he had to cover his ass, even if he had to use his newest allies to do it. She needed to find a way to reach the good man within. "Why does she want to go to the Land Without Magic?"

"Her daughter." Hook said.

"Regina." Emma nodded. "What kind of family reunion are we in for?"

"Not a pleasant one." Hook grimaced.

Emma remembered that reunion all too well. She couldn't risk Cora coming to the Land Without Magic this time around. For Henry's sake more than anything since it was a guarantee that Cora would use him to get to Regina. "If Cora wants to get to the Land Without Magic so badly, does she have her own plan? Does she know where a portal is?"

Hook looked away from her. "Not as far as I know."

It stung that he lied to her, but she should've expected it. Like her, Hook was very much closed off, preferring to keep his cards close to the vest.

"I doubt that." Emma scoffed. She pushed herself up, catching everyone's attention. "I'm going to get some sleep. Wake me when it's my watch." She turned away quickly, heading over to a makeshift pallet.

Hook's eyes were on her the whole time, but she refused to acknowledge ledge him, letting the exhaustion in her bones take over.

* * *

Henry smiled to himself as David led him up he stairs to the loft. He and Liam had hung out at Granny's for most of the afternoon and even after dinner. It was only when David arrived after eight o'clock that they realized the time and reluctantly parted ways.

"Sorry I was late picking you up." David said again as they entered the loft. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yeah." Henry replied as he set his backpack on the table. "Liam and I talked a lot. He's looking for his dad."

David listened, curious to know more about Henry's new friend. "Does he know what happened to him?"

Henry shook his head. "He disappeared before the curse."

"What about his mother?" David asked as he shrugged out of his jacket and kicked off his boots. It was good to be home after a long day of throwing out metaphorical fires. Ruby had volunteered to help man the station, but David couldn't wait until Emma and Snow came home. If they came home. No, he needed to stay optimistic. They would come home. As soon as he could track down Jefferson and get him to make the hat work. As it was, the man was very elusive.

"He didn't mention her." Henry said, bringing David back out of his thoughts.

David wondered about that but Henry seemed very happy to have a new friend. "It's good that you have a new friend."

Henry beamed at him. "Liam wants to hang out again tomorrow, is that okay?"

"Sure it is." David said. "Granny shouldn't mind that at all." A clock chimed. "Looks like it's time for bed."

Henry tensed a bit, not wanting to go back and relive his nightmare of the burning room. David had promised that if it happened again, they would figure something out. Besides, maybe it wouldn't happen again? Maybe it was just a one time thing? He hoped that it was, because he really didn't like the idea of being stuck in a burning room every time he closed his eyes.

David watched his grandson go upstairs with concern. He remembered Snow having nightmares of a burning room after he broke her sleeping curse, but eventually the nightmares had subsided. He wanted to make them go away for Henry's sake, but he wasn't sure what all he could do. For now, all he could do was watch over Henry, and if the nightmares grew worse, then he would do whatever he could to help Henry get through them.

He just felt so helpless. He had no real solution for helping Henry with his nightmares, and then there was the matter of getting Emma and Snow home. He hoped that he could find Jefferson soon. The more he learned about the hat, the better. If he could use it to get his family back, then he had to know how to work it.

If the hat didn't work…then he had no idea what else to do.

He wished that Snow was here. They usually talked through things together, and then they figured it out.

Sighing heavily, he went to the bedroom, figuring that he might as well go to bed. He needed sleep after all. Maybe his worries would leave him if he slept, and tomorrow he could be in a better state of mind.

Jefferson would be his target, and he would find a way to bring his wife and daughter home.

After all, tomorrow was a new day.

* * *

It was nearly midnight and Regina couldn't sleep. So much had happened in the last few days since her curse broke. She lost her son and her job and her magic wasn't working properly. It pissed her the hell off.

This curse was supposed to be her happy ending. She was supposed to be the one in charge here, and everyone else was supposed to be miserable. They were all supposed to be under her thumb without any awareness that their lives were not their own and that they were helpless to her whims.

The Savior. Regina could just kill the woman. This was all her fault. The curse never would've broken if Miss Swan had just let Henry go and gotten her ass out of Regina's town and back to Boston. If she ever saw Miss Swan again, she was going to get her revenge.

Her only consolation was that the Savior and Snow White were either dead or in another realm, which meant that they were no longer thorns in her side.

With the curse broken now, however, the entire town,  _especially_ Prince Charming, was a whole bushel of thorns. He took her son from her. Regina couldn't very well let him get away with that. He would not keep her son from her. Henry was everything to her.

She might not have been the best mother, but she loved Henry. Everything that she did was for his own good.

Emma had waltzed into town and turned Regina's little prince against her.

Regina was going to have to do something about that. She would get her son back, and she would make Henry love her again.

* * *

Emma woke with a start, her breaths heaving. She looked around wildly until she remembered where she was.

The Enchanted Forest. In the past.

Killian was alive.

It was just a bad memory that haunted her.

Killian was alive.

Emma laid back down, trying to calm her breathing.  _You're okay._ She calmly told herself.  _Killian's alive. Everything will be fine._

Her breathing finally evened out, but her mind was branded by the images of Killian's body in her arms. She pushed her hands against her eyes as if she could push the images out of her head.

When that failed, Emma pushed herself up, needing to get away and gather her thoughts. Careful of twigs and leaves, not wanting to alert anyone or wake anyone, Emma walked away from the camp. Once she was alone, hidden from sight of the camp, she was able to relax some. She found a tree to lean against and closed her eyes.

What was she even doing? Time travel? Really? She'd been through this shit before, and in changing things she almost erased  _herself_ from existence. Which only meant that she almost erased  _Henry_ too. She might not've travelled back that far in time, but it was enough that she could change too much. While some crappy things did happen, a lot of good things happened too. Pan's curse separated her from her loved ones, but it gave her a normal life with Henry for a time. Time traveling almost changed her entire future, but then they brought Elsa to Storybrooke. Regina became one of the good guys, Belle had become a good friend, and Emma was finally able to open her heart up, not just to Killian, but to her family too.

It was too much pressure. Should she keep changing things, or should she set everything back on course? But with Killian and Marian here, how could she correct what she had done? Was it too late?

There was a rustling near her.

Emma opened her eyes, finding Hook walking slowly towards her. "Did I wake you?" She asked softly.

He shook his head. "It was my watch. Are you all right?"

Boy, oh boy, was that ever the loaded question. "It's just been a day."

Hook nodded. "Aye, that it has." He was closer now, not even a foot away.

It was sudden when her emotions overwhelmed her. It was too much to handle. Killian's death, time travel, reliving her life again. All she wanted was to be in Killian's arms and have him comfort her, but she couldn't have that because the Killian in front of her wasn't her Killian yet. He was still revenge driven Hook.

His blue eyes were sad, and Emma didn't understand why until his hand cupped her face and his thumb wiped away her tears.

She hadn't even realized she was crying.

"It's going to be all right, Emma." His voice was gentle. "We'll get you back to your boy. I promise."

When he looked at her like that, and spoke in that voice, Emma could see the man she was meant to fall in love with. Her Killian. The Killian that had been buried deep under Hook's pain for so long.

Her hands grabbed at his jacket collar, pulling him closer. She needed him so badly that it made her chest ache and her lungs burn.

His forehead gently pressed against hers as their eyes locked. "Emma."

She was't sure if it was a warning or a prayer as she pulled him in. Her eyes fluttered shut when his lips were only a hairsbreadth away from her own.

A twig snapped, shocking them both apart.

Emma looked over Hook's shoulder and saw her mother looking more surprised than Emma felt.

"Sorry." Snow said, though she was too shocked to mean it. "I'll just go find somewhere else to…yeah, I'm leaving." Her fair skin flamed red under the moonlight as she left them.

Emma looked back at Hook, who was studying her very carefully. His coat collar was still in her hands, so she released it. Looking away, silently berating herself for almost giving in like that when it wasn't fair to Hook, Emma stepped away for him. "I'll take over your watch. You should get some sleep."

As she walked away, she heard him say three words that made her heart skip a beat.

"As you wish."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment and let me know what you think so far!


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group gets to the castle, and there's more insight into Liam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while. The muse has been a stubborn bitch and she didn't want to write anything.

_A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - Lao Tzu_

* * *

Freezing temperatures weren't exactly ideal to sleep in, but Liam was wearing layers and he was wrapped up in a wool blanket. There was still a nip in the air, though. There wasn't anything Liam could do though. His house was more of a shack and there was no power. Under the curse, the days had always been perfect, at least up until this past October. That's when things started to change and it was harder to hide the fact that he lived on his own and couldn't afford food.

He'd been rationing the school lunches, glad that those were free at least. There was also sneaking food in his pockets when the lunch ladies weren't looking.

Stealing made him uncomfortable, even ashamed, but what choice did he have? Until he found his father, he had to do what he could do to survive.

It was late, but at least tomorrow was Sunday. He could sleep in a bit before going into town to search for his dad and hang out with Henry. They were going to do their homework together, which relieved Liam. While he was good at most subjects, he struggled with English, so Henry could help him out, and where he was good at math, Henry wasn't and he helped Henry out. It was nice to have a friend for once, especially one as kind as Henry.

Now if only he could find his father. He didn't have a picture of Brennan Jones, nor did he think that he could draw his father from memory. Instead, Liam went to the lost relative bulletin board outside of town hall, but he found no drawings or posters of him.

Did his father even know that he was cursed? Was his father even here?

If his father wasn't here, Liam had no idea what he could do. He was only ten; there was no way that he could survive on his own. If his father was here, then wouldn't he be looking for him? Part of him wanted to get help, but a more stubborn part of him was reluctant to admit he was helpless.

That's why he had to find his father. If there was one thing that he knew, then it was that Brennan Jones was a good father, and that he wouldn't just abandon his son. The problem was that Liam had no idea where his father was, or even if he was cursed, and if he didn't find Brennan soon, then he would have no choice but to get help.

He just hoped he would be able to find his father soon, before it came to that extreme. If it did, Liam wasn't sure who he could turn to.

There was Henry and his grandfather David; David seemed nice enough, but would he help out a kid he barely knew? Liam never heard much about the former prince back in the Enchanted Forest, except the news of winning the war against King George. David was apparently in charge of the town too with the Evil Queen pushed out of office and the Savior gone. He probably didn't have time to worry about random, orphan kids.

"You're not an orphan." He chided himself, burrowing deeper into the covers. "You'll find Papa soon."

Shivering at the chill in the air, Liam did what he could to stay warm and soon fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

Her parents' castle loomed ahead in ruins, just as Emma remembered it looking. It was so very different from the illustrations in Henry's book.

Emma looked over at her mother, remembering how devastated Snow had looked the first time Emma had been in the Enchanted Forest.

Snow's expression was just as Emma remembered it. Just as devastated as before.

This castle had been Snow and Charming's home; it had been where Emma was born and where she should've, would've, been raised had it not been for Regina's curse.

Bitterness stung at her heart. While she loved Henry more than anything, Emma still couldn't help but wonder what her life would've been like had Regina not cast the curse. How different would Emma even be? Her parents would've raised her here in the Enchanted Forest and she would've been a princess. A real, honest to God princess. It was surreal thinking about that.

Emma was the farthest thing from a princess; definitely more pirate at heart.

"It's destroyed." Snow whispered, her eyes glistening.

Emma's heart broke for her mother. While Emma never had a home until Henry, this was a place that Snow had made her home. It was hard for the former princess to see it in such shambles. Emma wanted to say something comforting to her mother, but she wasn't quite sure what to say.

"This was our home." Snow continued. "Now it's gone."

Mulan walked over to them. "How are we going to cross the bridge? It doesn't look steady."

"Carefully and slowly." Hook spoke. "To be safe, we should go over one at a time."

"Someone should stay here and keep watch." Mulan glared at Hook.

Marian and Aurora didn't look certain of the idea.

"No." Emma said. "It's too dangerous. There are ogres on this side, and who knows what's in the castle."

"Emma's right." Snow said. "It's safer to stay together."

"Then we'll do as Hook suggests and go one at a time." Emma walked over to the bridge, stopping beside Hook. "I'll go first, I want you to follow next."

"Perhaps I should go first." Hook protested. "If there are loose stones…"

"I'll take my chances." Emma cut him off, not wanting him to risk himself unnecessarily.

Hook looked uncertain, but Emma was already stepping out onto the ruins of the bridge. "Be careful, Swan."

* * *

David found Jefferson lounging in a booth at The Rabbit Hole. He walked over, stood over the man with his arms crossed, a glare in place. "We need to talk."

Jefferson stopped fiddling with the label on his beer, looking up at the acting sheriff. "What can I do for you, your highness?"

David bristled at the title. "Your hat." David pulled the crushed hat from behind his back, placing it on the table before the mad hatter.

The other man studied the hat, before flicking a finger at it. "So this is how Emma and your wife disappeared?"

"Can you get it to work?" David asked, getting to the point.

"No." Jefferson took a sip of his beer.

"What do you mean no?" David growled, looming over Jefferson now.

"I mean no." Jefferson glared at him. "The hat is destroyed. That means no portal."

"You can't fix that?" David needed to get this hat to work. He needed to bring Emma and Snow home.

Jefferson couldn't help but laugh hard and loud at David's presumption. "You're joking, right? I'm a portal jumper, not a portal creator."

The blasé attitude Jefferson presented grated on David. Before the mad hatter could blink, the former prince jerked Jefferson upwards by the collar of his shirt. "My wife and daughter are gone! I need to bring them back!"

Jefferson'a expression grew serious. "Look, I don't know how to get them back. All I do know is that they're in the Enchanted Forest."

"Wait, the Enchanted Forest still exists?" David let Jefferson go as the words sunk in.

"Yeah." Jefferson said. "Even if the hat worked, you wouldn't be able to get both of them and you'd have to leave someone behind." He leaned back and straightened his collar. "The hat has a rule of two. Only two people can use it and only two people can come back. If you and a friend went through, then out of the two of you, Snow, and Emma, only two of you could come back."

David sat across from Jefferson, completely deflated now. "So there's no other way? No other portal?"

"None that I know of." Jefferson said. "I wish I could help, but I can't. I'm sorry." Jefferson finished his beer and left money on the table and stood up. "There's some extra there." He gestured at the cash. "Get yourself a cold one on me."

Jefferson left David alone.

David ran a hand through his hair. What the hell was he going to do now? He knew where Emma and Snow were, but how could he get to them? How could he bring them back?

His flip phone rang in his pocket.

David sighed.

Time to get back to work.

* * *

The nursery wasn't in any better shape than the rest of the castle. Toys and furniture were scattered everywhere, either destroyed by the curse or from years of rotting away in the ruins.

Only the wardrobe looked untouched, save for the dust that covered it.

Emma looked around the room, allowing herself to feel the pain of loss that she had shoved down the first time she had been in this room.

"I never thought I'd see this place again." Snow spoke softly, walking over to the ruined crib.

Emma walked over to her as the other four stayed back, sensing that this was a personal moment.

Snow gave her a sad smile. "This room was your nursery, or it was supposed to be." She released a shaky breath. "You never even got to spend the night here. As soon as you were born, your father had to put you in the wardrobe." Snow reached out and took Emma's hand. "This is the life that I wanted you to have. You were going to learn how to walk in here, learn how to talk. I'd dress you up for your first ball. You never got to do any of it. You're a princess who never got to be one. We never got to be a family."

Uncomfortable at the mention of her title, Emma pulled away. Apparently some walls were still up after all. "I'm not a princess." She winced, realizing she said that too loudly. "And we have a family back home in Storybrooke." Emma stood next to the wardrobe and ran her hand over it.

Hook stepped forward, motioning at the wardrobe. "So, how do we make this work?"

"Magic." Snow said. "We need to find someone with enough magic to make it work."

Emma wondered if her own magic could power the wardrobe, but she had never tried something like that before. Her magic was still on a learning curve as well; she had only just started practicing more and more, but since Rumplestiltskin was banished, Regina had gone lax on her lessons, which Emma hadn't minded much because that meant more time with Killian and her family.

There was also the fact that she wasn't supposed to know that she had magic. It wasn't until after she and Snow had returned to Storybrooke the first time around and Emma had told Gold about Cora being unable to take her heart that he revealed that she had magic. It would be way too suspicious if she revealed that she had magic right now.

"We need to take it to the Safe Haven." Snow told the group. "Hopefully someone there has magic, and they can get it to work again."

"How are we going to take it back?" Aurora asked. "It looks like it would be heavy even with six of us."

"Seven of us." Lancelot entered the room with a smile.

"Lancelot?" Snow smiled, though it was a bit confused. "What are you doing here?"

Mulan looked at the man suspiciously, which Emma found interesting considering her trust in Lancelot. Perhaps, Mulan knew on some level that something was off.

Of course, Emma was the only one who knew that he was really Cora in disguise.

Hook too looked suspicious, but Emma didn't know if he figured out that it was Cora, or if he was wondering why Lancelot would leave the Safe Haven without leadership.

"Ogres were said to be in the area." Lancelot explained. "I thought you might need more help."

"Who's in charge at the Haven?" Mulan asked.

Lancelot smiled at Mulan. "There's no need to worry. Everything is taken care of." He looked over at the wardrobe. "Is this the portal that you were looking for?"

"No." Emma spoke before the others could. She took a step forward. "If you heard ogres were in the area, why did you come alone? I've never met an ogre, but from how Mulan describes them, they sound difficult for people to fight."

"Ogres are blind." Lancelot said. "They hunt with their hearing. More people means more noise."

"So you're saying that the people who grew up in this land and know about the ogres, even those trained soldiers I saw back at the island, wouldn't know how to be quiet in dangerous territory?" Emma asked, trying to get Lancelot to slip up.

Lancelot crossed his arms. "What are you saying?"

Emma smirked. "I'm saying that I can tell when someone's lying." She pulled her sword from it's scabbard. "You are lying."

"Emma!" Snow admonished.

"He's not here because of ogres." Emma told her mother.

Mulan narrowed her eyes, while Marian pulled Aurora back away from Lancelot.

Hook stepped up next to Emma, preparing for a fight.

Snow looked between her daughter and Lancelot as if she wasn't sure who to side with.

"Why are you really here?" Emma asked. She wanted to call Cora out, but Lancelot had said nothing that gave himself away as Cora. Emma needed to push the witch in that direction.

"Snow, tell your daughter that I can be trusted." Lancelot implored.

Snow wanted to trust Emma, and her superpower, but Lancelot was an old friend, who could be trusted.

"No, Emma is right." Mulan cut in. "Lancelot wouldn't leave the Safe Haven alone if ogres were near."

Lancelot seemed to realize that he wasn't getting any trust, and Cora's magic appeared, Lancelot becoming Cora. "Well, you two sure know how to ruin best laid plans."

"Cora!" Snow was as shocked as the others, save for Emma and Hook.

Hook hadn't known the Cora was posing as Lancelot, Cora still hadn't trusted him with her plans, but he had known Cora was up to something and that her magic was involved.

"Where's Lancelot?" Snow asked.

"Dead." Cora said without remorse. "He has been for some time now."

Mulan charged the witch, but Cora flung the warrior away with magic. Mulan crashed into Marian and Aurora, knocking them all to the ground.

"So you killed him and posed as him?" Snow felt rage against this woman who continued to ruin lives.

"Well, people weren't going to listen to me, were they?" Cora smirked. "The people of this land are so simple. Give them a hero and they will follow them without question."

"What do you want?" Emma growled, feeling her magic tingle under her skin.

"I want that portal." Cora said. "I want to see my daughter again. It's been too long" Cora eyed Hook and Emma wondered if she'd reveal that Hook had been working for her.

"You're not getting this portal!" Snow snapped, charging for Cora.

Emma moved to stop her, seeing as how well that move had worked for Mulan, but it was too late, and Snow was magically tossed aside. Emma knew that she had no choice now. She had to burn the wardrobe and chase Cora off, then collect the ashes before Cora could. She pulled out a small pouch full of gunpowder that she had lifted off of Hook.

He noticed and seemed to realize her plan, already producing a flint.

Emma dumped the powder onto the wardrobe. "I'll keep her distracted. Hurry up and light this thing up."

Hook nodded, and Emma rushed over to Cora, who now had Snow in a magical hold, choking the princess.

"Let her go!" Emma shoved Cora away, causing Cora to stumble back and drop Snow.

An arrow hit Cora in the shoulder.

The witch turned to see Marian notching another arrow.

Giving Marian a chance, Emma threw a fallen stone at Cora.

Cora used her magic to stop the stone, hurtling it back towards Emma, who's hands went up to instinctively block. But she didn't block the stone; no, Emma froze it.

"Interesting." Cora muttered.

"Emma." Snow was looking at her with surprise.

It was then that a hissing noise reached their ears and the room lit up.

The wardrobe was on fire.

"You fool!" Cora exclaimed.

"Looks like you'll have to find another way." Emma said calmly.

Cora glared at her before poofing out in navy smoke.

Emma helped Snow to stand. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Snow was still looking at Emma as though she wasn't sure what to make of her daughter, or at least, of her daughter's magic.

It certainly made Emma feel uncomfortable.

"Thanks for saving me." Snow said.

Emma shrugged, before turning to Hook. "Thanks for the help."

"Aye." Hook nodded. "Your portal is gone though."

"Maybe, maybe not." Emma said as the fire kept burning. "If the wardrobe had any magic left, the ashes could too."

"We can't stay here and wait for that to burn out." Mulan said. "We need to get back to Safe Haven and tell everyone what's happened."

If Cora left them alive this time, then they needed to know. Emma wasn't sure why Cora killed them all the first time, though she was sure it was to help create a cover for Hook. The thought made her queasy, then again she never did condone his actions as a villain, but if Regina and the freaking Dark One were allowed to stick around, even when they had still hurt people and committed crimes, then it was only fair that Hook had gotten a shot to redeem himself.

"Maybe Emma can make it go out." Marian suggested.

"What?" Emma wasn't sure where Marian was going with this.

"She's right." Hook spoke. "You have magic. You can will the fire to extinguish, and collect all of the ashes."

"Look, I don't even know how I did that." Emma lied. True, she hadn't intended to use her magic at all, but Regina had explained that instincts activated magic as much as emotions did. "I have no idea how to use it. I didn't even know I had magic."

"But you know now." Hook said. "You can do this, Swan."

He believed in her, just as he always did, and that sent Emma's heart spiraling through a whirlwind of different emotions.

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Snow spoke up. "Magic can be dangerous."

"What choice do we have?" Aurora said. "If Emma's right about the ashes, then Cora could still use them, couldn't she?"

"With Cora's knowledge of magic, I've no doubt of that." Hook said.

That earned him a suspicious look from Mulan that no one really noticed.

"If Cora gets the ashes, and she uses magic on them, then she could create a portal." Emma pretended as though she were theorizing. "I'm not chancing her getting a ticket to Storybrooke. Not when Henry's there and Regina is doing who knows what to everyone." Emma took a breath and started to concentrate her magic. "Since I have no idea what I'm doing, everyone should probably step back."

The group did so.

Emma reached out with her magic, using her love for Henry and Killian and her parents and her friends. She looked at the fire and willed her magic to go forth and extinguish the fire. As she concentrated, the flames grew smaller and smaller until they were out. "Well, that was easier than I thought it'd be." Emma lied once more for cover. "Anyone got a container?"

Marian produced a coin purse, removing the remaining coins. "Will this work?"

"It'll have to." Emma took the purse and reached out again, willing the ashes into it.

A wind picked up in the room, the ashes rose swirling about, before Emma managed to direct them to the purse. When the last of the ashes was inside the pouch, Emma closed it and pocketed it. "Let's get moving. I don't want to be here if Cora does come back."

* * *

Henry was reading his storybook when someone sat across from him. He looked up to see Liam, who looked like he hadn't slept much at all. "Are you okay?"

"Tired." Liam gave him a weak smile. "Hungry."

"You want to order anything?" Henry asked. He himself was still waiting on his lunch. It was Saturday, but there was a lot going on, and his grandpa was called away, leaving Henry under Granny's watchful eye once again.

Liam shook his head. "I don't have any money."

"Don't worry about it." Henry said. "Granny can put it on a tab, then your mom can pay her later."

Pain flashed in Liam's eyes. "I…my mom isn't around."

Henry had suspected as much from his other conversations with Liam, but he hadn't wanted to push him. "So both your parents were taken from you during the curse?"

Liam shook his head. "No, just my papa. My mother died before the curse."

"I'm sorry." Henry really was too. He hadn't meant to bring up painful memories.

"It's fine." Liam shrugged.

Granny came over with Henry's order, but surprised them by putting another plate in front of Liam. "Don't worry about the money." Granny said. "If you're hungry, I'll feed you."

Liam flushed with embarrassment. "Thank you, but that's not necessary."

Granny stared him down.

"Thank you." Liam repeated before pulling the plate closer to him.

Satisfied that he was going to eat, Granny left them.

"How did she know?" Liam asked, trying to refrain from stuffing his face.

"She used to be a werewolf." Henry said, casually. "She's still got really good hearing."

Liam gaped at him. "You're serious?"

"Yeah." Henry said. "It's all in my book if you want to read it." Henry pushed the tome across the table.

"Maybe later." Liam said. "Right now, this burger looks too good to ignore."

Henry smiled as his friend tore into his meal with gusto, but he couldn't help but wonder what Liam's home life was like. If both of his real parents were gone, did he have cursed parents? Was anyone taking care of him? He was torn about bringing up the topic with Liam again, or letting it go, but Liam had a tendency to clam up when it came to personal details. It probably wouldn't do either of them any good to bring it up.

Still, Henry hoped that someone was watching out for his friend.

* * *

As they walked back towards Safe Haven, Hook could feel Mulan's eyes on him, watching his every move. He knew the warrior wasn't one to trust others, but it was unnerving that she had been watching him since they had left the castle.

Cora hadn't said anything about him having worked for her, so why was Mulan glaring daggers at him now?

"Emma, can we talk?" Snow asked Emma, who had been in front of Hook as they walked.

"What about?" Emma asked as she continued on, hoping that the Safe Haven was still there.

"In private?" Snow urged.

Emma stopped, sighing heavily. "We need to get back and put a plan together."

"What's going on?" Aurora stoped next to Hook, wondering why they were stopping.

Marian and Mulan followed suit.

"Nothing." Snow said. "I just need to talk to Emma."

Emma shook her head. "Is this about my magic? What does it freak you out?" Truth be told, that was a question that had been sticking with Emma ever since she learned of her magic. Snow had been good at hiding it back in Storybrooke and Neverland, but Emma always got the sense that her mother never approved of her magic.

Her words flustered Snow. "It's not that."

"There are more pressing issues." Mulan snapped. "Hook for one thing."

Hook arched a brow at her. "Oh really, please do enlighten us?"

"Hook." Emma sighed, slightly exasperated. They really didn't need anyone antagonizing anyone else. Emma just wanted to figure out how to get them to the beanstalk and Lake Nostos without straight out telling them that she had future knowledge.

"He's working with Cora." Mulan accused.

"Where did you get that idea?" Marian asked. From what it seemed, Hook had been nothing but helpful from the start.

"He knows her." Mulan said, glaring at Hook. "You weren't surprised that Cora showed up and you sounded like you know her when you spoke of her magic."

"He's not working for Cora." Emma said, stepping between Mulan and Hook. "Trust me, he's on our side."

"I don't even know you." Mulan said. "I don't trust you or him."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Fine, don't. You don't have to be here. You and your princess can head back to Safe Haven."

"You're making a mistake." Mulan growled. "You can't trust him. He's working with her…"

"Not anymore." Emma said with a fierce finality.

That certainly silenced everyone.

"He's not working for Cora, anymore." Emma said calmly this time. "He's working for me. You don't have to trust him, or me, or like the decisions that I'm making, but all I care about is getting home to my son, and Hook is helping me do that. Got it?"

Mulan didn't seem to want to back down, but said nothing.

"Emma?" Snow looked a bit betrayed. "You knew he was working for Cora?"

"It wasn't anything that any of you needed to know." Emma said. "He's on our side now. Deal with it."

Hook was impressed, even somewhat touched, by Emma's defense of him. Perhaps…should he tell her about Cora's original plan? She hadn't been keen to share it with him, but he had made sure to be just difficult enough that Cora had to give him something to keep him on her side.

Then Emma came along and turned his whole world upside down.

He could see that Snow and Mulan were ready to fight Emma on this, while Marian and Aurora looked unsure. "Perhaps a show of good faith?"

The women all watched him as he produced a cuff from his pockets. The other one had already been secured to his wrist before the start of the journey.

"What's that?" Marian asked.

"Before Emma and Snow came along, Cora had a plan in place." Hook said. "There's a beanstalk. The magic beans are gone of course, but portals need to be navigated. This particular beanstalk has a compass, one that we'll need if we're going through a portal. However, it's protected by magic, and Cora enchanted these cuffs so that we could climb the beanstalk."

"So you were going to get our portal and give it to her?" Snow accused.

"No, he wasn't." Emma snapped. "He just said it was Cora's plan  _before_  we showed up."

"Yet he chooses now, when he's outed as her ally to share it." Mulan said.

"So he didn't trust us?" Emma rolled her eyes. "You still don't trust any of us, and you don't have to."

"The point is, I'm trying to prove that I'm on your side." Hook said. "Believe me, working for Cora wasn't my finest hour, but when Swan offered me another path, I took it."

"Crossing Cora isn't something someone does if they want to live." Snow said. "So your either suicidal, or stupid."

"Perhaps I just love a challenge." Hook retorted with a wink. He turned to Emma. "What do you say, Swan? Care for some adventure?" He dangled the cuff in front of her.

"It could be a trap." Snow said.

Emma stepped closer to Hook and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Hook put the cuff on her wrist and it glowed.

"There's been enough mistrust." Emma said. "If we don't stick together, Cora wins. So everyone better put their issues aside until this is all over with. Got it?"

There were grumblings of agreement.

Emma took her hand from Hook, but he caught it as it swung to her side. He leaned in close. "I trust you, Swan. You can believe that."

Her super power found no lie. She nodded and turned away, still unwilling to give into her feelings as long as he was still on his path for revenge. At least Hook told them about the beanstalk; now Emma had to worry about getting them to Lake Nostos once they found the compass.

* * *

David entered Granny's and found Henry and his new friend Liam deep in conversation as they poured over Henry's storybook. He decided to leave them be; he hadn't told Henry that he planned on finding out more information about the hat, but he  _really_ wasn't keen on telling his grandson that they had no way, at least right now, to bring Snow and Emma back.

He sat at the end of the bar, keeping Henry in his sight, but also trying to sit away from people. His mood wasn't one for idle chat or listening to other people's problems at the moment. He just needed a break.

"You look like you need something stronger than coffee." Ruby said as she came over to take his order.

"I do, but I can't." David sighed, with an attempt at a smile. "I'll have a burger and onion rings though."

"Coming right up." Ruby went back to put in the order before walking back over. "So, did you find out anything? Will the hat work?"

David shook his head. "I talked to Jefferson. The hat won't work, and even if it did, only two people could use it at a time."

"So even if you went to get Snow and Emma, you'd have to take someone with you?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, but if two of us crossed over, only two could come back." David sighed. "Then two more people would have to use the hat again so that me and whoever went with me could come back, and a cycle would start."

"That's some bullshit magic rules." Ruby scoffed.

"I agree, but Jefferson knows how the hat works better than anyone." David said. "He says it won't work anyway. He didn't create the hat, so he doesn't know how creating a portal with it would even work."

"So what new we going to do?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know." David said. "It's to a point where we might have to go to Gold, but I'd rather not. I don't want to make any deals."

"No one does." Ruby agreed. "We'll figure it out."

David hoped that they would. "I just don't know how to tell Henry."

Ruby looked back over her shoulder at the boy, who was laughing happily with his friend. "Should you?" She looked back at David. "I mean I'm not saying lie to him, but he is just a kid. I know he wants to help, but last time he tried to help, he was nearly snake food. If you tell him that the hat won't work, what's to stop him from going to Regina's vault again, or going to Gold and making a deal?"

David grimaced. Ruby had a point. Though Henry had promised not to go off on his own again, Henry was also as stubborn as the rest of their family. If Henry got in in his head that he could find a way to get Snow and Emma back, he wouldn't stop until he succeeded. No, Ruby was right, David shouldn't tell Henry about the hat. At least, not yet.

Henry deserved to just be a kid.

"No, you're right." David agreed. "He doesn't need to know."

Though David knew that he'd have to find a portal soon, or Henry would start asking questions, or worse, he'd start trying to go off on his own again. He needed to protect Henry, no matter what. It was his job now, and he wasn't going to fail, not again.

* * *

When they made camp, there was some argument over whether or not to continue to Safe Haven or to go to the beanstalk, but Emma made it clear that regardless, she and Hook were headed for the beanstalk.

That left Snow with no choice but to go as well, because she was not leaving her daughter alone with a pirate, who admitted to working with Cora. Marian decided to go to as Emma promised to help Marian find her son. That left Aurora and Mulan, which hadn't taken long since Aurora said that she couldn't just not help, and she decided to go along too. Mulan hadn't been happy about that at all, but she swore to protect Aurora and that meant she had to join them on their detour.

Snow was concerned though. There was Emma's magic to consider; how she even had magic, Snow didn't know, but that was a problem for another day. The more pressing issue was Emma herself.

Emma's behavior had been odd lately, and now, Emma seemed to trust Hook more than the rest of them. Her attraction to the pirate had to be clouding her judgement. Snow knew that Emma had a level head, and wasn't likely to trust, but clearly there was some explanation as to her trust in Hook, and since Snow caught them last night…well she hadn't seen much, but Emma and Hook had been close together and touching each other. Honestly, she didn't want to dwell on it more than she had, but Snow was trying to figure Emma out. Though Emma had been off since before they even met Hook.

What was going on with her? How could she be closed off, wary, and out of her element one day and then a peace keeping, take no shit, take charge Emma the next day? It was almost as if she was a different person. Snow even wondered if Emma was Cora in disguise, but Cora hadn't known about their arrival until after they arrived in Safe Haven.

No, there was definitely another explanation as to her daughter's change in attitude. Hook wasn't helping though. For some reason, though Emma hid it well, she had a soft spot for the pirate.

Snow watched Emma and Hook carefully as the two sat together by the fire. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but Hook was giving Emma flirty smiles, clearly trying to get a reaction from Emma. Emma was trying not to give in, rolling her eyes and shooting him glares, but they were ineffective since she couldn't help but smile. Her smiling at him only encouraged Hook more.

There was definitely something there, and Snow had to stop it.

"Hey, Emma?" Snow called out, getting everyone's attentions, but Mulan and Aurora simply returned to their own conversation, and Marian continued skinning the next rabbit to be cooked.

Emma looked a bit displeased that Snow interrupted Hook's flirting, but quickly tried to mask it with stoicism. "Yeah?"

"Can we talk?" Snow was already standing up and walking away.

Emma gave Hook and apologetic look before following her mother.

They didn't stray far from camp, but the trees masked them from view of the others and they were out of earshot.

"What's going on?" Emma asked.

"That's actually what I was going to ask you." Snow said. "You've been off since you woke up yesterday morning, and I just want to know what's going on."

Emma hoped that her face remained passive, because inside she was cursing up a storm. Her hope that Snow hadn't noticed any change in her had now been dashed. She was hoping that maybe she was pulling off this obfuscating ignorance act, but Snow had noticed.  _Crap, crap, crap._ What was she going to do now? Well, playing dumb had gotten her this far. "What are you talking about?"

Snow gave her a look that clearly said playing dumb wasn't going to work. "Emma, you can talk to me."

 _Not about this._ Emma thought over what to say, but she couldn't tell the truth. Time travel wasn't something people were supposed to do, and if she told Snow…well Emma wasn't sure how Snow would react, but she couldn't risk it. "There's nothing to talk about. Look, we have people on our side, we have a plan, and if we keep this up, we'll be home in a couple of days."

"I don't trust Hook." Snow said. "You shouldn't either. I don't know what's going on between the two of you, but he's a pirate, and the stories of Captain Hook in this world and the Land Without Magic paint him as a villain. There's a reason for that."

"Who says I trust him?" Emma glared, her walls rising up and slamming Snow out. It didn't matter all of the progress that had been made between them in Emma's other life; that progress hadn't happened yet, and how dare Snow accuse her of lacking better judgement. Did her mother really think that a pretty face could sway her so easily? "I'm not an idiot, or a child, so don't treat me like one. You might be my mother, but I've done just fine without you my whole life, I don't need you." Though Emma regretted the words as soon as they left her, she turned away from her mother and headed away from camp as well. She'd apologize later; right now, she just wanted space and time to cool off.

Emma's words were like a knife to Snow's heart.  _I don't need you._ Snow's eyes watered as she watched Emma walked away.  _I've done just fine without you._ She badly wanted to go after Emma, but her own pain wouldn't let her. Her wounds needed to be licked before heading into another fight.

Snow knew though that no matter what was said, that she had to fix hers and Emma's relationship before it was too late.

* * *

Cora watched Snow with a smile.

When she had gone back to the castle to retrieve the ashes of the wardrobe and found them gone, she knew that Snow's little brigade had taken them. So, Cora did what she did best.

She called upon her magic and made herself invisible. She had watched Hook betray her, watched the arguments unfold within the group. Tensions were escalated between all of them.

Cora was eager to take advantage of that, but she knew that she had to wait. Patience was everything at the moment. No, she would stay hidden for now and keep listening and watching. Her enemies would be their own downfall, and her ticket to her daughter.

This was going to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked it! Comments and questions are my motivation to keep writing! ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't hate me. I will update soon, but I ask that you guys comment and let me know what you think.


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